High blood pressure or hypertension is a chronic health condition that affects about 30% of the adult population. Hypertension is defined as a blood pressure of more than 140/90 mmHg. High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factor for death in most industrialized countries, because it increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, chronic kidney disease and aneurysms. The causes of hypertension are not fully understood, but hereditary factors are certainly implicated. In this case, the condition is called primary or idiopathic hypertension.
Of course, apart from the genetic basis of hypertension, lifestyle factors are also involved. For example, high dietary salt intake is a lifestyle factor that can increase the risk of suffering from high blood pressure. This is a well-known fact. However, the truth is that there is another factor that is a much stronger predictor of hypertension: the ratio of sodium-to-potassium intake. It seems that it is possible to balance out the negative effect of sodium by increasing your potassium intake.
This is how a potassium rich diet can help combat high blood pressure
Potassium is an essential mineral for the proper functioning of the tissues, cells and organs of the human body. It is very important for the function of the heart and the digestive and muscular system. What is more, potassium promotes the excretion of sodium in the urine, while reducing the excretion of calcium and magnesium which helps the body to better regulate blood pressure.
A recent study by the University of Texas confirms the important role of potassium in the regulation of blood pressure. The researchers examined the dietary potassium intake of 3,300 subjects through measurements of potassium in their urine. The results clearly showed that those with the lowest levels of potassium in the urine (which also meant low dietary potassium intake), had the highest blood pressure. The link between potassium intake and blood pressure remained strong even when other independent risk factors such as age, diabetes, cholesterol and smoking were excluded. The researchers suggest that a gene called WNK1 may be responsible for the effect of potassium on blood pressure. Additionally, many other studies have confirmed that in countries where people consume lots of foods that are rich in potassium and low in sodium, only 1% of the population suffers from hypertension compared to 30% in industrialized countries.
How to follow a potassium rich diet
Potassium occurs naturally in many foods and especially in fruits and vegetables. The best sources are fresh and raw foods that are only minimally processed, because processing can reduce the levels of potassium. What is more, raw foods like vegetables are also naturally low in sodium and let¢s not forget that the most effective method of intervention against hypertension is to simultaneously reduce the intake of sodium and increase the intake of potassium. To reap the benefits of potassium, you will have to consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium per day. An easy way to do that is to eat lots of potassium-rich foods such as baked potatoes, spinach, orange juice, bananas, corn, cabbage, broccoli and fish, such as tuna. Mushrooms, peas, tomatoes, prunes and raisins are also very good sources of potassium.
