It is well known that a high salt consumption is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, which is why it is important to limit the amount of salt in the diet. However, taking into account the excessive consumption of processed food products, compliance with this advice remains far from easy.

The (EPIC-Norfolk) study which included 24,963 participants (11,267 men and 13,696 women), aged 40 to 79 years, had a median follow-up of approximately 20 years.

Researchers compared the association between potassium intake and blood pressure taking into account age, sex, and sodium intake. Potassium consumption (in grams per day) was associated with blood pressure in women; as the intake of potassium increased, blood pressure decreased. When the association was analysed according to sodium intake (low/medium/high), the relationship between potassium and blood pressure was only observed in women with high sodium intake, where every 1 gram of daily increase in potassium was associated to a systolic reduction of 2.4 mmHg. In men, there was no association between potassium and blood pressure.

The study further looked at the relationship between potassium intake and cardiovascular events considering age, sex, body mass index, sodium intake, medication, smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes, and previous heart attack or stroke. People with the highest levels of potassium intake had a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular events.

The results suggest that potassium helps preserve heart health, but that women benefit more than men. The relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events was the same regardless of salt intake, suggesting that potassium has other ways of protecting the heart in addition to increasing sodium excretion.

World Health Organization recommends that adults should consume at least 3.5 grams of potassium and less than 2 grams of sodium (5 grams of salt) a day. Potassium-rich foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, dairy and fish. For example, a 115g banana contains 375mg potassium, 154g of salmon contains 780mg, a 136g potato contains 500mg and 1 cup of milk contains 375mg.

The research coordinator concluded: “Our findings indicate that a heart-healthy diet goes beyond reducing the intake of salt, but also of increasing the consumption of potassium. Processed food companies can help, by switching from standard sodium-based salt to an alternative of potassium salt. In addition, we should all prioritise fresh, unprocessed foods as they are high in potassium and low in salt.”


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