Salt vs. Potassium

4 out of the 5 of the deadliest dietary traps involve not eating enough of certain foods—not eating enough whole grains, not eating enough fruits, not eating enough nuts and seeds, and not eating enough vegetables. But our most fatal flaw is too much salt.

There remains no single more effective public health action related to nutrition than the reduction of sodium in the diet.

We have 10 studies now, randomized controlled trials, showing that just swapping in some potassium chloride for regular salt can lead to significant reductions in blood pressure in people with hypertension.

Salt and high blood pressure are cause and effect. How? Because we have more than 100 randomized controlled trials demonstrating that if you cut down on added salt, your blood pressures fall. And the more you cut down, the better.

Less than 2% US adults consume the recommended daily minimum intake of potassium. So, more than 98% of Americans eat potassium-deficient diets.

Higher sodium intake is associated with a 20% increased risk of dying prematurely where higher potassium intake was associated with a 20% reduced risk of dying prematurely.

High blood pressure is the second leading cause of death in the world, killing more than 10 million people a year—second only to unhealthy diets, the number one killer of humanity. We can improve both by eating more whole healthy plant foods, like beans and greens, which are packed with potassium, which lowers blood pressure.

Several meta-analyses have now confirmed that high potassium intake appears to reduce the risk of stroke.