Potassium rich salt lowers heart disease risk

Potassium-enriched salt in the daily diet helps in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults. Like sodium, potassium is an electrolyte needed for maintaining the body's fluid balance. It's also involved in proper nerve and muscle control, as well as blood pressure regulation. Previous studies have suggested that food items high in potassium like - raisins, bananas, melon, beans and potatoes might help maintain a healthy blood pressure. The mineral also helps lower the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, possibly by protecting blood vessel function. Researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica in Taipei found that people who were given a potassium-enriched salt substitute were 40 percent less likely to die of heart disease or stroke over the next 2-3 years. The salt alternative, which was half sodium chloride, half potassium chloride, helped the men make a moderate cut in their sodium intake and a substantial increase in their potassium consumption. The potassium boost could be largely responsible for lowering the risk of cardiovascular death. The researchers studied 1,981 elderly men who were residents of a veterans' retirement home. Half of the men were randomly assigned to eat meals prepared with the potassium-enriched salt, while the rest had meals made with regular salt. Over the next 30 months, the researchers found that men who were given the salt alternative were 40 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. The findings are in line with general nutrition advice for controlling blood pressure and lowering heart risks: eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy, while limiting high salt and processed foods. The advantage of whole-food sources of potassium is that they contain other nutrients important to overall health. Nevertheless, potassium-enriched salt offers a convenient and fast way to alter the diet's sodium-potassium ratio. However, it is possible for the body's potassium levels to get too high, particularly in older people who have kidney dysfunction or are taking certain medications including blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors. Therefore, older adults should check with their doctors before using potassium-enriched salt substitutes or potassium supplements.