For many years, health experts have warned us to eat less salt.
That’s because too much sodium, the main ingredient in salt, raises blood pressure and increases the risk of strokes, heart disease, and even early death.
But now, scientists are discovering that adding more potassium to your diet may be just as important as cutting down on salt.
A new study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension has found that using potassium-enriched salt can significantly lower the risk of serious health problems. The research came from a large project called the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS), which followed over 20,000 people for five years.
The results were impressive. People who used potassium-enriched salt had a 14% lower risk of stroke, 13% fewer major heart issues, and were 12% less likely to die early. These results show how powerful one simple change—using a different kind of salt—can be for health.
Dr. Liping Huang, the lead researcher from The George Institute, explained that scientists have known for a long time that too much sodium and too little potassium can both raise blood pressure. But until recently, no one was sure how much of the benefit came from cutting salt or adding potassium.
To find out, the research team studied urine samples from people in the trial. These samples gave accurate information about how much sodium and potassium each person was getting. The scientists then looked at how these changes affected blood pressure.
They discovered that 61% to 88% of the benefit came from adding more potassium—not just cutting salt. This means potassium is doing most of the work in lowering blood pressure.
Potassium is a mineral that helps your body manage fluids, supports heart health, and lowers blood pressure. You can find potassium naturally in many foods like bananas, kiwis, spinach, beans, and nuts. But in modern diets, people often eat too many processed foods, which are high in sodium and low in potassium.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we should eat at least 3.5 grams of potassium every day. But the average person only gets about 2.25 grams. In fact, only about one-third of the world’s population meets the recommended amount. Meanwhile, sodium levels are far above what they should be.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, now affects 1.3 billion people around the world. The number has doubled in the last 30 years. It causes around 11 million deaths every year, which is equal to 20 deaths every minute.
Changing diets is hard. That’s one of the biggest problems in fighting high blood pressure. But using potassium-enriched salt could be an easy fix.
People don’t need to stop eating their favorite foods—they just need to switch the type of salt they use. In the study, over 90% of the people who were given potassium-enriched salt were still using it five years later.
Because this salt is low-cost and easy to use, experts believe it could help millions of people live longer, healthier lives. Some doctors now think it should be included in official treatment guidelines for high blood pressure.
This new research shows that potassium is a key nutrient for controlling blood pressure and preventing deadly diseases. While it’s still important to eat less sodium, getting more potassium may be even more helpful. And the easiest way to do that might be as simple as switching your salt.
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