Many Americans eat too much salt without even realizing it. This can lead to high blood pressure, which raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and early death.
But now, scientists have found a smart solution—a new kind of salt that still tastes good but is better for your health.
This new salt substitute is made of 75% regular salt (called sodium chloride) and 25% potassium chloride.
It still gives food the salty flavor people enjoy, but it has less sodium and adds potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.
Potassium is a mineral found in fruits and vegetables. It helps relax blood vessels and makes it easier for blood to flow, which lowers blood pressure.
The problem in the United States is that the average person eats over 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. That’s much more than the recommended limit of 2,300 milligrams. This high sodium intake mostly comes from processed foods like pizza, chips, burgers, and bread.
In 2015, scientists supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute came up with this salt substitute as a way to reduce sodium without giving up taste. They hoped this new blend would be an easy and low-cost way to help people avoid high blood pressure.
To test if it really works, a group of researchers led by Dr. Jaime Miranda studied it in Peru. They went to the Tumbes region and ran an experiment from 2014 to 2017. The study included 2,376 people from six different villages. Many of these people had little access to doctors, and high blood pressure was a serious concern.
The researchers gave people the salt substitute instead of regular table salt and watched what happened. The results were encouraging. Blood pressure went down, and fewer people developed high blood pressure during the study. There were no serious side effects, which showed that this salt substitute is safe for most people.
Dr. Miranda said that even small drops in blood pressure—like the 2 mm Hg decrease seen in the study—can make a big difference. These small changes can lower the risk of serious problems like strokes and heart attacks across whole communities.
Still, the salt substitute is not for everyone. People who have chronic kidney disease may not be able to handle extra potassium. Too much potassium in their system can be dangerous. That’s why it’s important to check with a doctor before switching to this kind of salt.
This salt substitute is not a magic fix. It’s just one part of a bigger plan to stay healthy. To really lower blood pressure and protect your heart, people should also make other changes, like eating more fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains, avoiding too much processed food, and getting regular exercise.
Following healthy diets like the DASH plan is also important. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This way of eating is designed to help people lower their blood pressure naturally.
In the end, this new salt blend could be a simple but powerful way to improve heart health. When used along with good lifestyle habits, it may help many people live longer, healthier lives.
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 health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
