Many people eat more salt than they realize. Everyday foods such as bread, pizza, burgers, chips, and ready-made meals often contain large amounts of hidden sodium.
In the United States, the average person consumes more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, far above the recommended limit of 2,300 milligrams. Over time, too much salt can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and early death.
Because salt makes food taste better, reducing it can be difficult. Many people struggle to stick to low-sodium diets because food may seem bland without salt. For this reason, scientists have been searching for ways to lower sodium intake while keeping the familiar salty taste people enjoy.
Researchers supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute developed a new type of salt that may offer a simple solution. This salt is a blend made of 75 percent regular salt, which contains sodium, and 25 percent potassium chloride.
Potassium is a mineral found in foods like bananas, spinach, beans, and potatoes. It helps relax blood vessels and can lower blood pressure, making it a helpful replacement for some of the sodium in salt.
The goal of this new salt blend is to allow people to continue enjoying salty flavors while reducing the amount of sodium they consume. At the same time, it provides extra potassium, which supports heart health. This approach could help people protect their health without making major changes to their eating habits.
To see if the salt substitute would work in everyday life, researchers led by Dr. Jaime Miranda carried out a large community study in Peru.
The study took place between 2014 and 2017 in six villages in the Tumbes region, where healthcare resources are limited and high blood pressure is common. A total of 2,376 people between the ages of 18 and over 65 took part.
Families in these communities were encouraged to use the new salt blend instead of regular salt for cooking and seasoning their food. Over time, researchers monitored their blood pressure and health outcomes.
The results were encouraging. People who used the salt substitute showed lower blood pressure compared to those who continued using regular salt. There were also fewer new cases of high blood pressure among those using the blend.
On average, blood pressure dropped by about 2 points. Although this change may seem small, even a slight reduction can significantly lower the risk of stroke and heart disease across a population.
Importantly, the study found no serious side effects for most participants, suggesting the salt substitute is generally safe. Researchers believe that such a simple change could be a powerful and affordable way to improve public health, especially in communities where access to medical care is limited.
However, the salt blend may not be suitable for everyone. People with kidney disease or certain health conditions may have trouble removing extra potassium from their bodies.
Too much potassium can be dangerous for them. For this reason, anyone considering switching to a potassium-based salt should consult a doctor first, especially if they have chronic health problems.
Health experts emphasize that the salt substitute should be part of a broader healthy lifestyle. Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol all help protect the heart.
This new salt blend is not a miracle cure, but it offers a practical and easy step toward better health. By reducing sodium while keeping the flavor people enjoy, it could help many individuals lower their blood pressure and reduce their risk of serious heart problems.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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