A new study confirms that using a salt substitute can reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and early death. Researchers analyzed data from multiple studies and found strong evidence that replacing regular salt with a healthier alternative lowers blood pressure and protects heart health.
The Problem with Regular Salt
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. One of the biggest risk factors is high blood pressure, which is often caused by eating too much sodium (found in regular salt) and not enough potassium. Currently, about 1.28 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, but more than half of them don’t even know it.
Salt substitutes offer a simple solution. Instead of using only sodium chloride (NaCl), these substitutes replace some of it with potassium chloride (KCl). This helps to lower blood pressure while keeping food tasting the same.
A Large-Scale Analysis
A major study from China, known as the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS), showed that switching to potassium-enriched salt significantly reduced heart attacks, strokes, and early deaths. However, researchers were unsure if this benefit applied to people outside China.
To find out, a team of scientists reviewed data from 21 clinical trials conducted in Europe, the Americas, the Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia. These trials included nearly 30,000 people and lasted between one month and five years. The amount of sodium and potassium in the salt substitutes varied, but all contained less sodium than regular salt.
What the Study Found
The results were clear: salt substitutes helped lower blood pressure in all participants. On average, they reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by 4.61 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 1.61 mmHg.
The effects were consistent regardless of age, sex, location, body weight, or medical history. Even small changes made a difference—every 10% reduction in sodium in the salt substitute led to a greater drop in blood pressure.
The study also looked at major health outcomes. By analyzing five of the trials involving more than 24,000 people, researchers found that using a salt substitute lowered the risk of:
- Early death from any cause by 11%
- Death from heart disease by 13%
- Heart attacks and strokes by 11%
Importantly, there was no evidence that increasing potassium intake caused any harm. This is reassuring because some people worry that too much potassium could be dangerous, especially for those with kidney problems.
Why These Findings Matter
This research strongly supports the idea that potassium-enriched salt can be a life-saving public health measure. The results confirm what was seen in the large Chinese study—using a salt substitute lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of deadly heart problems.
Experts believe that governments and health organizations should promote the use of salt substitutes. These products could be added to dietary guidelines and made widely available in grocery stores and restaurants. Public health campaigns could encourage people to switch from regular salt to a healthier alternative.
While the study had some limitations—such as differences in how the trials were conducted and limited data on people without high blood pressure—the overall evidence is strong. The consistent drop in blood pressure across all groups suggests that the benefits of salt substitutes apply to people worldwide, not just in China.
Final Thoughts
Switching to potassium-enriched salt is an easy and effective way to improve heart health. It does not require a major lifestyle change, and people can still enjoy the taste of their food. Given the high number of deaths caused by high blood pressure, this simple change could save millions of lives.
Now, the challenge is getting people to use it. Governments, doctors, and food manufacturers should work together to make potassium-enriched salt the new normal. By reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium, we can take a big step toward preventing heart disease and improving global health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
The research findings can be found in Heart.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
