A recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology Renal Physiology reveals that boosting your potassium intake may have a more powerful effect on blood pressure than sodium reduction alone.
Potassium-rich foods include bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, among others.
According to reports, sodium and potassium are both electrolytes that help the body perform essential functions. These functions include muscle contraction and water retention. The researchers inferred that the balance between potassium and sodium significantly influences blood pressure regulation.
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While previous research found that increasing potassium intake can help control blood pressure, the researchers developed a mathematical model that successfully identifies how the ratio of potassium to sodium impacts the body.
The study found that men develop high blood pressure more easily than pre-menopausal women, but men are also more likely to respond positively to an increased ratio of potassium to sodium.
“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt. 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,” said Anita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.
Hypertension or high blood pressure affects nearly 30 per cent of the global population. This increases the risk of serious health problems like heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
