An interventional study of Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake and Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake in Sodium Excess, Hypertension and Salty Taste, sponsored by Sunway University. Completed at 1 site in Malaysia. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-27.
Sponsored by Sunway University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This study aims to investigate the effects of a specific diet modification on the pleasantness, desire, and saltiness intensities of selected foods and an ad libitum breakfast buffet through a randomized controlled trial with three arms. Participants will be randomized to either increase, decrease, or make no change to their daily intake of foods with a specific taste for six consecutive days, and outcomes will be assessed at two time points, at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7), alongside measures of adherence to the assigned diet. Each participant will receive an instruction to modify specific aspects of their diets for six days. This study is crucial for addressing diet-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in Malaysia. By providing robust evidence on the effectiveness of specific diet modifications, the study can inform public health policies, improve dietary recommendations tailored to Malaysian cultural preferences, and promote long-term benefits.
Excess dietary sodium intake is a major modifiable risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health strategies often assume that reducing exposure to salty foods will lower salt preference and encourage healthier food choices through sensory adaptation; however, evidence from whole-diet interventions conducted under real-world conditions remains limited and inconsistent. Dietary sodium consumption substantially exceeds recommended levels in many countries, including Malaysia, and contributes to the global burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Public health sodium reduction programmes are based on the premise that lowering exposure to salty foods can gradually shift taste preferences towards less salty diets through sensory adaptation. However, evidence supporting this mechanism is mixed, and most previous studies have relied on controlled laboratory settings, single foods, or salt solutions rather than whole-diet interventions.
The study aims to determine whether short-term changes in dietary sodium exposure are sufficient to modify salt taste perception and related eating behaviors and to identify factors associated with individual variation in these responses. The primary objective is to determine whether increasing or decreasing exposure to salty foods over six days alters salt-related taste perception compared with maintaining usual dietary habits. Secondary objectives are to examine changes in sodium intake and appetite-related outcomes and to explore demographic and anthropometric factors associated with taste perception responses. The findings will improve understanding of short-term sensory adaptation to dietary sodium exposure and provide evidence relevant to sodium reduction policies, food reformulation efforts, and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing population sodium intake.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants increase intake of salty foods and beverages.
Other: Experimental: Increased Salty Food Intake
Participants decrease intake of salty foods and beverages.
Other: Experimental: Decrease Salty Food Intake
Participants continue their habitual dietary practices
Other: Active Comparator: Maintain Usual Diet
Participants assigned to the increase group were instructed to increase their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6) while living in their usual environment. Participants selected their own foods and beverages but were encouraged to choose options consistent with a higher-salt dietary pattern. Written guidance and meal examples were provided to support implementation. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7).
Participants assigned to the decrease group were instructed to reduce their consumption of salty-tasting foods and beverages for six consecutive days (Days 1-6). Participants selected their own foods and beverages while attempting to minimize intake of high-salt items according to written guidance and examples. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7). A six-day, self-directed dietary intervention designed to reduce exposure to salty foods and beverages under free-living conditions. Participants modified their habitual diet without direct provision of foods by the investigators
Participants assigned to the maintain group were instructed to continue their usual eating habits and dietary practices for six consecutive days without making deliberate changes to salty food consumption. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (Day 1) and after the intervention (Day 7). A six-day control condition in which participants maintained their habitual dietary intake under free-living conditions.
Pleasantness
Pleasantness ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Time frame: Pleasantness ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Desire to eat
Desire to eat ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Time frame: Desire to eat ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Saltiness intensity
Saltiness intensity ratings, indicated after tasting three salty foods (Foods 1-3) and three non-salty foods (Foods 4-6), will be measured on a 10-point Likert scale. The rating scores will be averaged across the six test foods to generate composite scores. The aggregated pleasantness score will be used to capture overall taste responses rather than food-specific effects, consistent with whole-diet taste exposure theory.
Time frame: Saltiness intensity ratings will be collected at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Dietary sodium intake
Dietary sodium intake will be estimated from pre- and post-foods consumed by each participant.
Time frame: Dietary sodium intake is estimated at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Sodium Density
Sodium density (mg/g) will be computed to distinguish compositional from volumetric changes in sodium intake.
Time frame: Sodium density will be assessed at baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Appetite
Appetite will be rated on 0-10 Likert scales at the start of each test session.
Time frame: Appetite will be assessed at the baseline (Day 1) and Day 7
Adherence
Adherence is a self-reported measure rated on a 10-point Likert scale.
Time frame: Adherence was assessed only on Day 7
Plan to share: No — The principal investigator will make the data available on reasonable request
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Sunway University