Kaylie Huang, Class of 2027

While the COVID-19 pandemic drastically disrupted the lifestyles of populations globally, an intriguing side effect is its notable impact on the levels of sodium in the average diet. While some have claimed that the lockdown helped improve diets due to decreased dining out and consumption of fast food, others have argued that the isolation instead encouraged snacking on salty foods such as crackers and chips. Researchers based in the Department of Urology of SBU’s Renaissance School of Medicine studied urine samples in an effort to find a conclusive answer to this debate, using the risk of high sodium levels as a measure of health before, during, and after the pandemic. At dangerously high levels of sodium, nephrolithiasis, or the formation of hard mineral deposits in the kidneys known as kidney stones, can develop.

Patients in this study had a history of nephrolithiasis. They also had medical records of 24-hour urine studies, one done before March 20, 2020 (set as the baseline for the “start of quarantine”), and one done between March 20, 2020 and December 31, 2020 (considered the “quarantine” date range). The values noted from these urine samples included total urine volume, sodium, calcium, magnesium, oxalate, and citrate, as well as stone composition. Urine samples collected after December 31, 2020 were included based on their availability.

Sodium and calcium, the two major urinary concentrations studied, presented varying results. While the samples from during and after COVID did not exhibit significant differences in sodium levels, there was a significant decrease in the calcium levels between the samples from before and after COVID. When considering age, patients younger than 65 showed significant decreases in both sodium and calcium levels from before COVID to during COVID, persisting into the period after COVID. However, these differences were not observed in patients older than 65.

Based on the results of the urine analysis, the dietary changes that occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic shows the potential of being lithoprotective, meaning that they minimize the risk factors for nephrolithiasis. Notably, younger adults adapted more easily to the change in lifestyle as seen by the changes in sodium intake, while older adults remained steadfast in their dietary habits. Therefore, although snack consumption and home cooking increased during the pandemic, there was still an overall decrease in sodium intake. As a result, dining out may be the reason for much of our sodium intake—one possible post-pandemic alternative is to incorporate more home-cooked meals into diets instead.

Figure 1: A group of friends sharing popcorn on a couch.

Works Cited:

[1] Shkolnik, B., Zhao, K., Lu, J. Y., Kothari, P., Herfel, S., Schulsinger, H., & Schulsinger, D. (2024). Is the “Pandemic Diet” Nonlithogenic?. Journal of Endourology, 38(7), 697–700. https://doi.org/10.1089/end.2023.0535.

[2] Image retrieved from: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-eating-popcorn-6643425/