Many people in the United States eat too much salt, which can lead to serious health problems.
High salt intake raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and early death. Most of the salt people eat comes from processed foods like pizza, chips, burgers, and bread.
Doctors recommend that people eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. However, the average American eats about 3,400 milligrams daily. That’s much more than is healthy.
To help solve this problem, scientists have come up with a new kind of salt that may help people eat less sodium without giving up the salty taste they enjoy. This salt substitute is made of 75% regular salt (sodium chloride) and 25% potassium chloride.
Potassium is a mineral found in fruits and vegetables. It helps lower blood pressure by relaxing the walls of blood vessels. By adding potassium to salt, the new blend not only reduces sodium but also adds an ingredient that helps the heart.
The idea of this salt substitute came from researchers supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. They wanted to find a simple and affordable way to help people lower their blood pressure. In 2015, they introduced this new salt blend as a possible solution.
To see how well it works in real life, Dr. Jaime Miranda and his team tested the salt in six villages in the Tumbes region of Peru. This study took place from 2014 to 2017 and included over 2,300 people of different ages and health conditions.
The team replaced regular salt with the new salt substitute in the homes of all participants. They then watched to see what would happen over time.
The results were very promising. People’s average blood pressure went down, and fewer people developed high blood pressure during the study. Just a small drop of 2 mm Hg in blood pressure may not seem like much, but it can lead to big health benefits, including lower chances of heart disease and stroke.
Another good sign was that there were no bad side effects for most people in the study. This means the new salt could be safe for wide use in the general population.
However, not everyone can use potassium safely. People with kidney problems may have trouble removing extra potassium from their bodies, which could lead to dangerous health problems. That’s why it’s important to talk to a doctor before switching to this kind of salt, especially for people with kidney disease or other health concerns.
This new salt substitute is not the only answer to better heart health. Experts say it’s still important to eat a healthy diet, such as the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and it focuses on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-sodium foods.
These habits can go a long way in lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart.
In summary, this new salt blend offers a smart and easy way to help reduce salt in the diet while still enjoying the taste of salty food. When combined with other healthy habits, it can be a powerful tool for better heart health and a longer life.
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.
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