Does a high potassium, low sodium diet offer any legit health benefits

[Wesley_Clark]

I’ve read numerous studies recommending people eat more potassium, less sodium, or get a 2:1 ratio of K:Na claiming this will provide health benefits.

But fruits and vegetables are full of potassium, while processed foods are full of sodium. So a diet with a high K:Na ratio is going to be one that is generally high in fruits and vegetables but low in processed foods. So how much of the health benefit just comes from that and has nothing to do with the electrolyte balance?

However we did evolve in a food atmosphere where potassium was easier to get than sodium (hence our sodium cravings). So maybe our bodies are optimized to function on a diet with a 2:1 K:Na ratio irrelevant of where those electrolytes come from.

What do studies say about a high K:Na ratio totally independent of the food sources used to obtain it (ie, that factor out the fact that people whose diets have a high K:Na ratio are likely to eat lots of plants and very little processed foods, while people who have a high Na:K ratio are the opposite, tons of processed foods and few plants).

[BorgHunter]

Geleijnse et al. say: Inconclusive!
Yang et al. say: Yes!

There are more (a lot more) studies on this. Here’s the Google Scholar query I used; I selected a couple of juicy-looking candidates from that list. Seems like the current consensus is: We’re not quite sure.

[Wesley_Clark]

From the second study

Because sodium is added to many foods, especially processed foods, while potassium is naturally present in most foods, a low sodium-potassium ratio may be a marker of high intake of plant foods and lower intake of processed foods. For example, cheeses, cooked meats, breads, soups, fast foods, pastries, and sugary products tend to have a higher sodium-potassium ratio, whereas fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and hot beverages tend to have a lower ratio.52 In our study, additional adjustment for the HEI (healthy eating index) did not materially alter the results, suggesting that the benefits of potassium intake might be independent of a healthy dietary pattern that includes fruits and vegetables. From a public health point of view, reduced sodium intake accompanied by increased potassium intake could achieve greater health benefits than restricting sodium alone.

[Zoe]

Hi, Wesley!

If I don’t take supplemental potassium, I get to feeling very weak and faint when I stand up for long. Maybe I’m not getting enough in my regular diet, but I do take potassium tablets in the morning and at night.

I probably have enough salt in my system to push my BP up a little. I do eat lots of processed foods.

This doesn’t answer your question scientifically. But I did want to acknowledge the intelligent question. I never know what you are going to ask!

[Wesley_Clark]

Hey Zoe, how have you been?

I’ve heard most people just flush out extra sodium, only about 30% are salt sensitive.