ating meals resembling bananas, avocados and salmon might assist cut back the damaging results of salt within the eating regimen of girls, new analysis suggests.
The research discovered that potassium-rich diets have been related to decrease blood strain, notably in girls with excessive salt consumption.
Researchers say their findings point out the mineral helps protect coronary heart well being, however that ladies profit greater than males.
Based on the research, the connection between potassium and injury to the center was the identical no matter salt consumption, suggesting that potassium has different methods of defending the center on high of accelerating sodium excretion within the urine.
In our research, dietary potassium was linked with the best well being positive aspects in girls
Research writer Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam College Medical Centres, the Netherlands, stated: “It’s well-known that top salt consumption is related to elevated blood strain and a raised danger of coronary heart assaults and strokes.
“Well being recommendation has centered on limiting salt consumption however that is troublesome to attain when our diets embrace processed meals.
“Potassium helps the physique excrete extra sodium within the urine.
“In our research, dietary potassium was linked with the best well being positive aspects in girls.”
The research included 11,267 males and 13,696 girls of the Epic-Norfolk research, which recruited 40 to 79-year-olds from normal practices in Norfolk, UK, between 1993 and 1997.
Everybody accomplished a questionnaire on life-style habits, blood strain was measured, and a urine pattern was collected.
Urinary sodium and potassium have been used to estimate dietary consumption.
Researchers analysed the hyperlink between potassium consumption and blood strain, and located that potassium consumption (in grams per day) was related to blood strain in girls.
NHS recommends that adults (aged 19 to 64) want 3,500mg of potassium a day” data-source=”NHS”>
They discovered that as consumption of the mineral went up, blood strain went down.
When the affiliation was analysed in response to salt consumption, the connection between potassium and blood strain was solely noticed in girls with excessive sodium consumption.
Throughout a median follow-up of 19.5 years, 13,596 individuals have been admitted to hospital or died as a consequence of heart problems.
General, they discovered that individuals who had the very best potassium consumption had a 13% decrease danger of cardiovascular occasions in comparison with these with the bottom consumption.
When women and men have been analysed individually, the danger reductions have been 7% and 11%, respectively.
The quantity of salt within the eating regimen didn’t affect the connection between potassium and cardiovascular occasions in males or girls, the researchers discovered.
Prof Vogt stated: “The outcomes counsel that potassium helps protect coronary heart well being, however that ladies profit greater than males.
“The connection between potassium and cardiovascular occasions was the identical no matter salt consumption, suggesting that potassium has different methods of defending the center on high of accelerating sodium excretion.”
The NHS recommends that adults (aged 19 to 64) want 3,500mg of potassium a day, and will be capable to get this from their every day eating regimen.
This analysis helps present recommendation that chopping down our consumption of salt and consuming extra meals containing potassium may be the recipe for a more healthy coronary heart
Excessive potassium meals embrace greens, fruit, nuts, beans, dairy merchandise and fish.
For instance, a 115 gram banana has 375mg of potassium, 154 grams of cooked salmon has 780mg, a 136 gram potato has 500mg, and one cup of milk has 375mg.
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian on the British Coronary heart Basis (BHF), stated: “This analysis helps present recommendation that chopping down our consumption of salt and consuming extra meals containing potassium may be the recipe for a more healthy coronary heart.
“A straightforward approach to enhance your potassium consumption is by consuming 5 parts of fruit and greens a day.
“Different meals like pulses, fish, nuts, seeds and milk are additionally excessive in potassium and low in salt, so may also help profit your coronary heart.
“Nevertheless, maintaining wholesome isn’t nearly monitoring what’s in your plate.
“Limiting your alcohol consumption and staying bodily energetic may also assist to decrease your blood strain, decreasing the danger of a coronary heart assault or stroke.”
The findings are printed within the European Coronary heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
