Most people in America eat too much salt. Salt is made up of sodium, and eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure.
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and even early death. Although health experts have warned about this for many years, many people still find it hard to cut down on salty food.
That’s because salt makes food taste good, and it’s used in so many of the foods we eat every day.
To solve this problem, scientists have come up with a smart new idea. They created a new kind of salt that tastes almost the same as regular salt but is healthier. This new salt is made by mixing 75% regular salt with 25% potassium salt. Regular salt is called sodium chloride.
Potassium chloride is another type of salt that doesn’t raise blood pressure like sodium does. In fact, potassium can actually help lower blood pressure by helping blood vessels relax.
Potassium is found in many healthy foods like bananas, oranges, potatoes, and leafy greens. Most people don’t get enough potassium in their diet, so this salt blend could help in two ways: lowering sodium and adding potassium.
In America, the average person eats more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day. But health experts recommend no more than 2,300 milligrams. Most of this sodium comes from fast food, processed snacks, and restaurant meals.
Foods like pizza, chips, burgers, and bread are full of hidden salt. This makes it hard for people to stay within the healthy limit.
Back in 2015, scientists supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute came up with this salt substitute.
Their idea was simple but powerful: replace some of the sodium in salt with potassium to make it healthier without changing the taste too much. This would give people a way to eat less sodium while still enjoying salty foods.
To test this idea, a group of researchers led by Dr. Jaime Miranda ran a study in a region of Peru. From 2014 to 2017, they worked in six small villages with 2,376 people. Many of these people had little access to doctors or hospitals, so high blood pressure was a big concern.
In the study, the researchers replaced the regular salt in these villages with the new salt mix. Over time, they found that the average blood pressure in the community went down.
Even better, fewer new cases of high blood pressure were seen. No serious side effects were reported, showing that this salt mix is safe for most people.
However, not everyone should use this salt. People with kidney disease may have trouble getting rid of extra potassium from their bodies. For them, too much potassium can be dangerous. That’s why experts say people with health problems should talk to their doctor before switching to this kind of salt.
Still, this simple change could make a big difference for many people. Even a small drop in blood pressure can lower the chances of heart attacks and strokes. Just a 2 mm Hg drop, like the one seen in the Peru study, could save lives when applied across large populations.
Of course, using this salt alone isn’t enough. It’s still important to eat a healthy diet, such as the DASH diet. This diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-salt foods. Together, these choices can help people keep their blood pressure in a healthy range.
In short, this new salt mix is a promising tool. It lets people enjoy the taste of salt while protecting their hearts. When combined with other healthy habits, it could help many people live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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