Scientists have found that increasing sodium intake by 1000 mg per day increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 18%. And an increase in potassium intake by the same 1000 mg per day reduces this risk by 18%. Study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Potassium is found primarily in fruits (such as bananas), leafy greens, beans, nuts, dairy products, and starchy vegetables. It helps relax blood vessels, increases sodium excretion, and lowers blood pressure.
We mainly consume sodium with table salt, which can be difficult to take into account. In addition to the fact that we ourselves salt our food, some of it is found in everyday foods. In some of them, for example, in convenience foods and fast food, there is an uncontrollable amount of salt.
To assess the association of sodium and potassium with the risk of cardiovascular disease, experts studied urine samples from more than 10,000 healthy people. Analyzes were taken several times a day — this method of evaluation is considered the most reliable. The scientists were interested in the amount of potassium and sodium in the samples, as well as the frequency of cardiovascular disease in the subjects. Over the entire study period (almost 9 years), 571 cardiovascular events were recorded, such as strokes, heart attacks and other dangerous conditions.
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After taking into account a large number of risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, it turned out that people who consume 2 to 6 milligrams of sodium per day are at significant risk (those who consumed more sodium were not found in the study). At the same time, the risk increased by 18% with every extra thousand milligrams. However, increasing potassium intake results in an 18% reduction in this risk for every thousand milligrams.
The World Health Organization recommends consuming no more than 5 grams of salt per day, while increasing your potassium intake to at least 3.5 grams. At the same time, most people consume an average of 9-12 grams of salt per day. Avoiding excess salt intake will avoid 2.5 million deaths per year. For comparison, in 2020, 1.8 million people died from coronavirus worldwide.