THE ESSENTIAL
- Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine.
- Avocados and salmon are also potassium-rich foods.
- High salt intake is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
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“A diet high in potassium is linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. It is unknown whether these associations differ between men and women and whether they depend on daily sodium intake” , can we read in works published in the journal European Heart Journal.
24.963 participants
In this study, researchers at the University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, recruited 24,963 people aged 40 to 79 (11,267 men and 13,696 women) between 1993 and 1997. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on their lifestyle. Their blood pressure was measured by the team and a sample of their urine was taken. “Sodium and potassium in urine were used to estimate dietary intake”, the scientists said.
low blood pressure
According to the results, a diet high in potassium, specifically the consumption of bananas, was associated with lower blood pressure, especially in women with high salt intake. In men, there was no association between potassium and blood pressure.
During approximately 19 years of follow-up, 13,596 volunteers were hospitalized or died from cardiovascular disease. Across the research, people with a higher potassium intake had a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular events.
Potassium protects the heart
“The results suggest that potassium helps preserve heart health, but women benefit more than men. The association between potassium and cardiovascular events was the same regardless of salt intake, suggesting that potassium has other ways of protecting the heart besides increasing sodium excretion,” said Liffert Vogt, one of the authors of the work, in a statement.
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