Most people in developed countries are eating too much sodium and not enough potassium compared to the recommended intake, according to a new multinational study.. Excessive sodium intake and a high sodium/potassium diet are known to significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke.. Approximately 1.65 million (about 10%) of cardiovascular deaths each year are attributed to excess sodium intake..

With this in mind, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting your daily sodium intake to 2 mg (or 5 g of salt) and eating? 3510 mg potassium per day. These servings are equivalent to 86 and 90 mmol sodium and potassium, respectively, which is approximately equal to their desired 1:1 ratio.. A study conducted by an international group of scientists in the USA, France, Mexico and the UK showed that most of the population of these countries does not adhere to WHO standards.

Thus, among US residents surveyed as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 86% did not comply with WHO recommendations for sodium intake and 80.4% for potassium. Similar results were shown by a survey of residents of France (89.1 and 77% respectively) and the UK (83.4 and 91.4% respectively). A slightly different picture was observed in Mexico, where residents ate less salt (44% consumed it above the norm), but also less potassium (only 5% of the surveyed consumed it in the recommended amounts).

As the authors note, excess sodium intake is associated with the peculiarities of the diet of a modern person.. For example, in the United States, according to a survey, the diet of the population includes many foods such as yeast bread, cheese, semi-finished products, and meat products containing a large amount of sodium.. A similar diet is followed by residents of Great Britain and France, with the only difference being that their diet contains more cereals..

One of the problems with dieting high in potassium is that many foods containing this element also contain high amounts of sodium.. Exceptions include beans, dark green vegetables, dried fruits, and fish.. Another problem with following such a diet is the higher cost of these products compared to the standard set.. Given the huge discrepancies between actual potassium intake and recommended intakes, the authors of the study still advise revisiting the latter..

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