Boosting Potassium, Not Just Cutting Sodium - Best Way to Lower Blood Pressure

 

Adding more potassium to the diet could be an easier, more effective way to lower blood pressure than cutting salt alone. The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology–Renal Physiology.

“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less sodium,” study author Anita Layton, professor of applied mathematics, computer science, pharmacy and biology at the University of Waterloo in Canada, said.

The new research, however, “suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium,” Layton said.

Ultimately, researchers found more dietary potassium helped lower blood pressure, even with “high” or “normal” levels of sodium intake—whenever potassium went up, regardless of sodium levels, blood pressure went down.

Men were more likely to have a greater reduction in blood pressure after increasing their potassium-to-sodium ratio than premenopausal women.

As a matter of fact, when you consume too much sodium, more water gets drawn into the blood vessels, swelling the blood volume. This makes your blood pressure increase, which can damage the vessels’ walls and lead to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. This stunts healthy blood flow and stresses your heart over time.

Potassium has the opposite effect: It relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, reducing the tension in your arteries so blood can circulate more easily, said Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian.

“One of the ways sodium and potassium work in tandem is through the kidneys,” Routhenstein said.

The kidneys have specialized proteins, called transporters, that use potassium to funnel sodium out of the body through your urine. Basically, the more potassium you eat, the less sodium you retain.

Thus potassium helps by relaxing blood vessels and assisting the kidneys in flushing out excess sodium. And boosting potassium lowers blood pressure more effectively than cutting sodium alone.

Good sources of potassium include apricots, bananas, lentils, potatoes, spinach, salmon and yogurt.

Bananas get all the glory, with one medium fruit serving up 422 milligrams of potassium.

The American Heart Association recommends a daily intake of 3,500 to 5,000 milligrams of potassium to treat high blood pressure.

Most adults do not get anywhere close to that amount, said Routhenstein. (At a minimum, men should aim for at least 3,400 milligrams of potassium per day, while women should shoot for at least 2,600 milligrams.)

Increase your potassium intake slowly as many potassium-rich foods are also high in fiber. Too much of that too quickly can cause GI distress like gas and bloating, and maybe even dramatic shifts in your blood pressure.

The American Heart Association, on the other hand, suggests limiting daily sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams, especially if you have high blood pressure. And also do your best to spread your intake throughout the day, rather than eating it all at once.

Although pairing that with 4,700 milligrams of potassium, the potassium to sodium ratio is 2:1, Routhenstein said there is no “golden” potassium-to-sodium ratio that is recommended for everyone. Your health history, lifestyle and dietary needs all play a role in how much of each mineral you should eat per day.