When it comes to lowering high blood pressure, many people think about reducing salt. But is this really the best way to lower your blood pressure? Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Grace Scarborough gives you a short & simple walk-through on potassium, sodium, and blood pressure.
It is true that reducing salt can help lower blood pressure. The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) recommends limiting sodium to 2,000 mg per day. Yet, most Americans eat around 3,400 mg per day. But besides decreasing your sodium intake, eating enough potassium can help control high blood pressure too.
What is the difference between sodium and potassium?
Sodium and potassium are both electrolytes, which help control fluid balance in our bodies.
Potassium is intracellular (inside cells) and sodium is extracellular (outside cells). This means
potassium helps maintain fluid levels inside our cells and sodium helps maintain fluid levels
outside our cells (1). Research shows that eating more potassium and less sodium is a better
way to help lower blood pressure, because more potassium helps reduce the effects of too
much sodium. (2) For most people, this means reducing sodium intake and increasing
potassium.
Where do I get sodium and potassium in food?
Many fruits and vegetables are naturally higher in potassium and lower in sodium. Therefore,
eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce blood pressure. On the other hand,
processed foods tend to be higher in sodium so eating less of these will help too. Reading food labels and comparing products can help you reduce sodium. Check out this article to learn more about sodium.
Can I eat too much potassium?
For most people, the answer is no. Most Americans do not get the recommended daily amount of potassium (2600 mg/day or more). But some medical conditions, like kidney problems, and certain medications (even some blood pressure medications) can lead to high potassium levels in the blood. Taking a supplement that contains potassium might also lead to high levels. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplements. To read more about potassium, check out this article.
What else can I do to lower blood pressure?
Everyone’s body is different. There isn’t a “one size fits all” solution for controlling high blood pressure. The best approach is a personalized one. Your doctor can help you make a plan if your blood pressure is high. This will likely include a combination of nutrition, lifestyle changes, and medication. Monitoring your blood pressure at home can be helpful, this data will help you and your doctor find a plan that works best.
Takeaway
There are many things you can do to help control high blood pressure. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods can generally increase potassium intake and lower
sodium intake which can help lower blood pressure. Since different approaches work for
different people, we recommend a personalized plan. Stay tuned at Snow Personal Training for more information!
Written by Grace Scarborough, RDN, CD
Editor-in-Chief - Snow Personal Training
References
1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Available from:
2. Levings JL, Gunn JP. The imbalance of sodium and potassium intake: implications for dietetic practice. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014;114(6):838-841.doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.02.015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9237821/
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