Many people know that eating too much salt can raise blood pressure. But new research from the University of Waterloo in Canada suggests that simply cutting back on salt might not be enough.
Instead, increasing the amount of potassium-rich foods you eat may be an even better way to manage blood pressure.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major health problem around the world. It affects more than 30% of adults globally. It is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems. It can also contribute to other conditions like heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and even dementia.
The new study was led by Professor Anita Layton, who holds the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.
She is a professor in multiple departments including Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy, and Biology. Professor Layton and her team used a mathematical model to explore how the balance between sodium and potassium in our diets affects blood pressure.
“Usually, when someone has high blood pressure, they are told to eat less salt,” said Layton. “But our research suggests that eating more potassium — like what you get from bananas, potatoes, spinach, or broccoli — could have an even greater impact on lowering blood pressure.”
Potassium and sodium are both important for the body. They are called electrolytes, and they help muscles contract, nerves send signals, and the body manage fluids. However, the balance between the two is critical. In early human history, people ate mostly fruits and vegetables, which are high in potassium and low in sodium.
But in modern Western diets, it’s the opposite — people eat a lot of processed foods that are high in sodium and low in potassium. This mismatch may help explain why high blood pressure is much more common in modern industrialized societies than in more traditional or isolated communities.
Melissa Stadt, a PhD student and the lead author of the study, explained that their team’s mathematical model shows how this ratio of potassium to sodium affects the body. The model helps researchers see what happens inside the body under different diet conditions — all without needing to run long or expensive experiments on people.
Their findings also suggest that men and women respond differently to changes in the potassium-to-sodium ratio. The study found that men are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women before menopause.
However, men may also benefit more from increasing their potassium intake. This information could help guide more personalized health advice in the future.
The researchers believe their mathematical model can help speed up new discoveries by testing ideas in a fast, affordable, and ethical way. Instead of waiting for years of real-world data, scientists can now predict outcomes using computer models, and then design better studies or guidelines based on the results.
In conclusion, this research adds a new twist to the advice on blood pressure. Instead of just focusing on reducing salt, people may also want to increase their intake of potassium-rich foods. That could be a simple and natural way to protect heart and brain health.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
The study is published in American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology.
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