High blood pressure is one of the world’s most common health problems and affects more than one billion adults.
Many people do not know they have it because it often causes no symptoms until serious complications develop.
If left untreated, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and other life-threatening conditions.
Doctors have long advised people with high blood pressure to reduce the amount of sodium, or salt, in their diets.
Eating too much sodium can cause the body to hold onto extra fluid, making the heart work harder and raising blood pressure. Although reducing sodium remains important, researchers now believe another nutrient deserves equal attention.
A new report suggests that lowering blood pressure may work even better when people combine less sodium with more potassium. The report was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and reviewed a large body of scientific evidence on how these two nutrients influence heart health.
The researchers explain that sodium and potassium work together inside the body. While sodium tends to increase blood pressure when consumed in excess, potassium helps the body remove extra sodium through the urine and relaxes blood vessel walls. Because of this partnership, improving the balance between the two nutrients may be more effective than focusing on sodium alone.
Lead author Dr. Naomi Fukagawa from the University of Vermont says nutrition should be viewed as a whole because foods and nutrients interact with each other. Looking at only one nutrient may miss important opportunities to improve health. The report argues that future public health advice should encourage both sodium reduction and potassium intake together.
Many people consume much more sodium than recommended because processed foods, restaurant meals, packaged snacks, and fast foods often contain large amounts of salt. At the same time, many diets provide too little potassium because people do not eat enough fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products.
Foods naturally rich in potassium include bananas, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, beans, lentils, yogurt, and milk. Including more of these foods in daily meals may help improve blood pressure while also providing vitamins, minerals, and fiber that support overall health.
The report also discusses replacing some sodium with potassium salts during food manufacturing. This approach can reduce sodium intake across the population, although using too much potassium salt may change the taste of foods. Manufacturers therefore need to find the right balance between health benefits and consumer acceptance.
Although diet is important, it is only one part of blood pressure management. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, managing stress, and taking prescribed medicines when needed all contribute to healthier blood pressure levels.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about what to eat and to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the connection between potato and high blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
