Excess salt in the diet can cause hypertension.

Recently, scientists have confirmed that adequate potassium intake plays no less a role in the prevention of hypertension than the salt restriction.

Hypertension is an insidious killer, on the conscience of which half the cases of stroke and heart attack in the world. On the planet live more than 1 billion hypertensive patients, and each of them is at high risk of cardiovascular events and other serious diseases.

In recent years, nutritionists have increasingly noted that the increase in the incidence of hypertension is closely related to the habitual Western diet rich in salt.

A recent scientific review, published in the American Journal of Physiology, assumes the key role of potassium in the prevention of hypertension.

Potassium under pressure: the prevention of hypertension.

Potassium ions are vital for the transmission of nerve impulses along nerve fibers and muscle contractions. Thanks to potassium, our heart beats, and every cell has the ability to receive nutrients and take out the metabolic products. Potassium is involved in maintaining the strength of bones and reduces the risk of kidney stones.

The author of the study, Alicia McDonough, Professor of Cell Neurobiology at the University of Southern California, commented on the results as follows:.

"Reducing sodium intake is a well-known way to combat hypertension. But an adequate intake of potassium is an equally important tool for the treatment and prevention of hypertension. Food sources of potassium:.

- Tuna.

- Salmon.

- Yoghurts.

- Milk.

- Eggs.

- Almond.

- Macadamia.

- Mushrooms.

- Bran The team of Dr. McDonough studied the role of potassium under pressure, and also sought the optimal ratio of sodium and potassium in the blood. For this, the results of several large population studies conducted in different countries of the world over the past decades.

When a person consumes a lot of potassium, the kidneys intensively remove sodium and water. Thus, potassium can be compared with taking a diuretic. The hypothesis of Dr. McDonough is that there is only one limitation of table salt - it is necessary to regulate potassium.

According to the researcher, the modern food industry turned the natural diet of a person upside down. In nature, our ancestors ate a lot of potassium - fruits, vegetables, roots, seeds, nuts. A high level of potassium forced us to look for sodium - hence the love of a man from salt grows, which was more than satisfied by the producers.

Now, on the contrary, our craving for salty foods makes us eat chips, burgers, pizza and other ".

As a result, there is a shortage of potassium - an element that in nature should prevail!.

"If you are a supporter of a typical Western diet, you probably consume too much sodium and not enough potassium. Combined, these two factors dramatically increase the risk of hypertension, "explains Professor McDonough.

How much potassium should I consume?.

According to the US Institute of Medicine (2004), a healthy adult should receive 4700 milligrams of potassium daily for adequate blood pressure control. This rate of potassium intake minimizes the negative effects of sodium, prevents the formation of renal calculi and bone loss.

Professor McDonough advises manufacturers to specify the content of potassium in food products so that consumers can make informed decisions about their diet.

In the meantime, most people should remember about fruits, vegetables and nuts.

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