Eating foods high in potassium could lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke, a new study suggests.
People who had the most potassium in their diet were 13 per cent less likely to have a stroke or heart attack than people who consumed the least, a research published in the European Heart Journal has found.
When analysed separately, the researchers found that women in the group with the highest amount of potassium had an 11 per cent lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke, compared to those with the lowest amount of potassium.
For men with the highest amount of potassium, the risk was seven per cent lower.
The study included 11,267 men and 13,696 women from the Epic-Norfolk study, which recruited adults aged 40 to 79 from general practices in Norfolk, UK, between 1993 and 1997.
The researchers took participants’ blood pressure and used urine samples to estimate the amount of salt and potassium in their diets and asked them to fill in a questionnaire on their lifestyle.
The men and women were then followed for an average of 20 years to see whether they had a heart attack or stroke.
Researchers looked at the link between potassium intake and blood pressure, and found that potassium consumption was associated with lower blood pressure in women.
When the association was analysed according to salt intake, the relationship between potassium and blood pressure was only observed in women with high sodium intake.
However, the amount of salt did not influence the relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events in either men or women.
“Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine,” said Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam University Medical Centre and one of the authors of the study. “In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women.
“Our findings indicate that a heart healthy diet goes beyond limiting salt to boosting potassium content. Food companies can help by swapping standard sodium-based salt for a potassium salt alternative in processed foods.
“On top of that, we should all prioritise fresh, unprocessed foods since they are both rich in potassium and low in salt.”
According to the NHS, adults between 19 and 64 years need 3,500mg of potassium a day. Good sources of potassium include bananas, avocados, broccoli, spinach, cooked salmon, potatoes, beans and nuts.
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said that the research supports current advice that cutting down salt intake and eating more foods containing potassium “can be the recipe for a healthier heart”.
She added: “An easy way to boost your potassium intake is by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Other foods like pulses, fish, nuts, seeds and milk are also high in potassium and low in salt, so can help benefit your heart.
“However, keeping healthy isn’t just about monitoring what’s on your plate. Limiting your alcohol intake and staying physically active will also help to lower your blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.”
Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods. However, NHS recommends that older people should not take potassium supplements unless advised to by a doctor.
