The Blood Pressure Mistake Most People Miss
Hypertension is not only about eating less salt. There is another side of the blood pressure equation that many people overlook.
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The Blood Pressure Mistake Most People Miss
Think of blood pressure like a tug-of-war.
On one side is sodium. On the other is potassium.
Most people hear a lot about pulling back on salt. But the other half of the story is just as important: potassium helps your body balance sodium, relax blood vessel walls, and excrete more sodium in the urine. That is why blood pressure is often influenced not just by how much sodium you eat, but by the sodium-to-potassium balance of your diet.
What the Data Shows
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that a lower urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio was associated with lower blood pressure in adults, and the authors concluded that this ratio may predict blood pressure better than sodium or potassium alone.1
The World Health Organization recommends increasing potassium intake from food to help reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in adults, and suggests a target of at least 3,510 mg/day.2
So the message is:
Eat less sodium and more potassium-rich foods. That usually means more beans, lentils, potatoes, yogurt, leafy greens, avocados, tomatoes, fruit, and other minimally processed foods.
Your Practical Health Tip
Do not only ask, “How do I cut salt?”
Also ask, “Where is my potassium coming from?”
A practical shift is to replace some ultra-processed, salty foods with whole foods naturally rich in potassium. That moves the balance in your favor.
But this is not for everyone: people with kidney disease or those taking certain medications may need to be careful with potassium and should not increase it aggressively without medical guidance.
See you tomorrow for your full-length post.
To your zenith within,
Sara Redondo, MD, MS
References:
Ndanuko RN, Tapsell LC, Charlton KE, Neale EP, Batterham MJ. Association between the urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio and blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Adv Nutr. 2021;12(5):2048-2060. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab054.
World Health Organization. Increasing potassium intake to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease in adults [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023 Aug 9. Available from: https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/potassium-cvd-adults.