Eating more potassium-rich foods may be effective for lowering blood pressure

Download PDF Copy Reviewed University of WaterlooApr 14 2025New research from the University of Waterloo suggests increasing the ratio of dietary potassium to sodium intake may be more effective for lowering blood pressure than simply reducing sodium intake.High blood pressureaffects over 30 per cent of adults globally. It's the leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke and may also lead to other afflictions like chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and dementia."Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt," saidAnita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine."Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium."Potassium and sodium are both electrolyt...