A clinical nutrition report says potassium intake belongs beside sodium reduction for blood pressure

What the research found

A report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, led by Naomi Fukagawa at the University of Vermont, argues that blood-pressure advice should pair a higher potassium intake with less sodium, rather than treating sodium cuts as the whole plan. The authors note that hypertension affects more than 1.28 billion adults, that potassium helps the kidneys clear sodium, and that many eating patterns are high in sodium and short on potassium. Potassium is found in fruit, vegetables, legumes, and dairy. Potassium salt can taste metallic in large amounts. People with kidney disease, or whose care already changes potassium balance, need a clinician before they raise potassium. This is an evidence review and commentary, not a new feeding trial. The work was supported by the IAFNS Sodium in Food and Health Implications Committee. DOI 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101396. ScienceDaily dated the story 2 November 2026. Not medical advice, and not a substitute for prescribed blood-pressure care.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at ScienceDaily