Potassium-Rich Foods Like Bananas, Broccoli May Help Lower High Blood Pressure: Study
A new study has revealed that increasing the intake of potassium-rich foods such as bananas and broccoli may significantly reduce high blood pressure, a condition affecting over 30% of adults globally. Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada found that a higher potassium-to-sodium ratio in the diet may be more effective in managing hypertension than simply reducing salt intake.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a leading risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and even dementia. Traditionally, medical advice has focused on reducing sodium intake to manage this condition. However, this latest research suggests that the inclusion of potassium may play an even more crucial role.
“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt,” said Prof. Anita Layton, who teaches Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy, and Biology at the University of Waterloo. “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 essential electrolytes that help regulate muscle contractions and water balance in the body. According to the study, early human diets were naturally high in potassium and low in sodium, a balance that our bodies may have evolved to thrive on.
“Today, western diets tend to be much higher in sodium and lower in potassium. That may explain why high blood pressure is found mainly in industrialised societies, not in isolated communities,” said Melissa Stadt, the lead author and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Applied Mathematics at Waterloo.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology, are backed by a mathematical model developed by the research team. The model demonstrated how dietary potassium impacts blood pressure and revealed that while men are generally more prone to developing hypertension, they also tend to respond more effectively to an improved potassium-to-sodium ratio compared to pre-menopausal women.
This study adds weight to the growing call for dietary interventions that focus not just on reducing salt, but also on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables — particularly those high in potassium — to combat hypertension more effectively.
