Switching to Potassium-Enriched Salt Could Prevent Nearly 3 Million Deaths a Year, Global Study Finds

SYDNEY, Nov. 4 (TodayViralUSA) — Swapping ordinary table salt for a potassium-enriched version could prevent nearly 3 million deaths around the world every year, according to a new study that researchers say points to one of the cheapest ways to fight high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

The modelling study, led by researchers at The George Institute for Global Health and published in Nature Health, estimated the effect of switching the salt supply in 193 countries. A full transition could prevent 2.96 million deaths and 10.17 million new cases of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease a year, the authors found. That represents roughly 15% of the global deaths attributed to those diseases.

How the substitute works

Potassium-enriched salt replaces part of the sodium chloride in regular salt with potassium chloride. It looks, tastes and cooks much like ordinary salt, but tackles two drivers of high blood pressure at once: too much sodium and too little potassium in the diet. It is already sold in some stores and online.

The researchers note that decades of efforts to get people to simply eat less salt have largely failed, and no country is expected to meet the World Health Organization’s goal of cutting sodium intake by 30% by 2025.

Even partial switches help

The team modelled several scenarios. Replacing only the salt people use at home for cooking and seasoning could prevent about 1.85 million deaths a year, while switching just the salt used in processed and restaurant foods could prevent about 1.56 million. That second option matters most in North America and Europe, where more than 70% of dietary salt comes from packaged and restaurant food rather than the salt shaker, Euronews reported.

The largest gains would come in countries with big populations and high rates of heart disease. A full switch could prevent an estimated 1.08 million deaths a year in China and almost 400,000 in India.

A caution for kidney patients

The main safety concern is hyperkalemia, a dangerous buildup of potassium in the blood, in people with advanced kidney disease or those taking certain medicines that raise potassium levels. Even in that group, the study found the benefits outweighed the risks: replacing all salt would prevent an estimated 750,000 deaths among people with moderate to severe kidney disease, compared with about 100,000 deaths that could be caused by high potassium.

People with kidney disease or who take potassium-sparing medications should talk to a doctor before switching.