Tennessee Doctors Mark C. Houston of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Karen J. Harper of Harper Medical Communications, Inc. both note the reasoning behind high blood pressure and heart disease is the lack of potassium in the typical diet. They refer to vegetarians and people living in isolated areas to solidify this point. Potassium is found in fruits and vegetables and both of these groups are known to include a significant amount in their diet. Furthermore, they are also prone to consume less sodium. A healthy balance between the levels of potassium and sodium one eats is what helps potassium function efficiently within the body. 

This is a tremendous contrast with the average person’s processed diet, which has them eating double the recommended amount of sodium and half the recommended amount of potassium (which is 4.7 grams per day, according to the American Heart Association as of 2006). In societies where fruits and vegetables are typically undesirable and rarely eaten, the effect is startling.  Houston and Harper found that while only one percent of those living in isolated areas have been diagnosed with hypertension, a staggering one out of three citizens of industrious areas suffer from it.    

Houston and Harper strongly advocate eating potassium as an effective strategy, saying, “An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease.” Should those living with hypertension heed this vital advice, more than ten percent of them can lower their blood pressure significantly.  The daily intake of five hundred to a thousand milligrams of magnesium and over eight hundred milligrams of calcium have also been proven through other studies to assist with blood pressure.

It must be noted that potassium provides other benefits and to be deficient allows room for risks to the body. This can range from acne or extremely dry skin to hypoglycemia or hypokalemia to even insomnia or depression. The most obvious way to lack potassium is through diet, but there are other ways that make it difficult for the body to absorb it. Taking certain prescription drugs like steroids, penicillin, ACE-inhibitors and diuretics, eating disorders, alcohol or laxative abuse can all negatively affect potassium intake. 

When potassium is consumed correctly it can aid in allergies and blood pressure, as previously discussed. It is a mineral that brings nutrients to the cells and carries waste away from them. Again, it requires a healthy balance with sodium to be effective. The balance lessens the chance of a stroke and assists in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. The level of potassium must be larger than the level of sodium in the body. This creates the membrane potential, which contributes to a person’s nerve, muscle and heart functions through the carrying of electrical messages between them.

The study, involved roughly 2,000 elderly Taiwanese men that were divided into 2 groups. The first group of men were randomly assigned to eat meals prepared with potassium-enriched salt, while the second had meals made with regular salt.

According to the researchers, over the following 30 month period, the men given the salt alternative were 40 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

The salt alternative was composed of half sodium chloride and half potassium chloride and not only helped the men cut their sodium intake, but they also gained a substantial increase in their potassium consumption.

The researchers say in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that the boost in potassium may have been largely responsible for the lower risk of cardiovascular death as a number of studies have suggested that diets high in potassium may help maintain a healthy blood pressure. Some great choices of foods for potassium include: raisins, bananas, melon, beans and potatoes.

Potassium is an electrolyte needed for maintaining the fluid balance in the body. It also plays a role in proper nerve and muscle control, as well as blood pressure regulation.

According to the study co-author Dr. Wen-Harn Pan, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica in Taipei, the new findings suggest perhaps by protecting blood vessel function, potassium may also help lower the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.

Pan told Reuters Health that she suspects that a diet high in potassium-rich fruits and vegetables could be even more beneficial than just replacing the salt.

Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy, and limiting salty processed foods are essential non-negotiable’s for controlling blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

Now with these new findings, Pan says potassium-enriched salt offers a “convenient and fast way” to alter the diet’s sodium-potassium ratio.

Frank Mangano’s commentary: 

She’s right on the money with that statement and the use of potassium-enriched salt may just save many lives.

*Important note* It is possible for the body’s potassium levels to become too high. This is particularly true of older people who have kidney dysfunction or are taking certain medications. These individuals should consult a professional health care practitioner prior to using potassium-enriched salt substitutes or potassium supplements.

However, don’t mistake salt as an entirely bad thing. Sodium is essential to your body’s functioning and all salt is NOT the same.

Avoid table salt, which is refined and start using unrefined sea salt, which contains naturally occuring minerals. I also recommend you read my article on man made salt.

The study, which was conducted by Dr. Reto Krapf of the University of Basel in Switzerland and colleagues, consisted of 161 post-menopausal women at an average age of 59. The women were split into two groups: One receiving a daily supplement of potassium citrate for up to 12 months, and the other given a daily supplement of potassium chloride for up to 12 months.

The researchers were aiming to prove that the acidic body pH in the participants, which is generally caused by poor lifestyle and dietary choices, could be raised by potassium citrate which is a base chemical. The control group was given potassium chloride because it is a neutral chemical that does not affect body pH.

After six to 12 months, bone mineral density tests were conducted on the participants’ lower spine and hips. A one percent increase in bone mineral density in the lumbar spine area as well as the hips occurred in the group taking the potassium citrate (base) supplements. Conversely, a one percent loss of bone density at both test sites occurred in the group taking the potassium chloride (neutral).

“Both the spine and hip are critical regions where osteoporosis and low bone mass result in debilitating fractures,” according to the American Society of Nephrology.

Less calcium was lost through urination as well in the women taking potassium citrate according to the researchers.

Krapf’s team of researchers say the amounts of acidic foods that lower the body’s pH, such as dairy products, refined grains and meat products are much too high in the typical American diet. Diets such as these cause alkaline calcium to be pulled from the bones by the body to help buffer the high levels of acid. When this happens, bone loss and other health disorders such as cancer are likely to develop.

Frank Mangano’s commentary:

Always remember to avoid processed and refined foods and pay attention to the acid/alkaline levels in your body. Diseases such as cancer thrive in acidic environments and conversely, cannot survive in an alkaline environment.

Make sure your diet is high in fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, which raise the body’s pH to healthier levels. Chlorella and Spirulina are also alkalizing superfoods.  I recommend consuming a whole food supplement such as “Super Green Formula” by Garden of Life, which contains chlorella, spirulina and a host of other nutrients that promote an alkaline environment.