Increasing dietary potassium may prove more effective in managing high blood pressure than merely cutting sodium, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Waterloo.
Reducing sodium intake has long been recommended for individuals grappling with high blood pressure. However, new research from the University of Waterloo, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology, proposes an alternative approach: increasing your potassium intake.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects over 30% of adults globally, making it a leading cause of coronary heart disease, stroke and other serious health conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats and dementia.
“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt,” corresponding author Anita Layton, a professor of applied mathematics, computer science, pharmacy and biology at the University of Waterloo, said in a news release.
“Our research 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,” she added.
Potassium and sodium both play crucial roles as electrolytes, helping the body send electrical signals to contract muscles, manage water levels and perform other essential functions.
Lead author Melissa Stadt, a doctoral candidate in Waterloo’s Department of Applied Mathematic, explained the evolutionary basis for this finding.
“Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body’s regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet,” Stadt said in the news release. “Today, western diets tend to be much higher in sodium and lower in potassium. That may explain why high blood pressure is found mainly in industrialized societies, not in isolated societies.”
While prior research has shown the benefits of increased potassium intake for blood pressure control, the team at Waterloo developed a mathematical model that pinpoints how balancing potassium and sodium affects the body.
This model also clarifies differences in how men and women respond to dietary changes.
While men develop high blood pressure more easily than pre-menopausal women, they are also more likely to respond positively to an increased ratio of potassium to sodium, according the study.
The mathematical model used in the study allows for the assessment of the impact of various factors on the body in a manner that is time-efficient, cost-effective and ethical, the researchers explained.
This breakthrough provides a promising new avenue for managing high blood pressure and highlights the importance of dietary composition in achieving better health outcomes. By boosting potassium intake through foods like bananas and broccoli, people battling hypertension might see more significant improvements than through sodium reduction alone.
Source: University of Waterloo