New research suggests that potassium may the negative hypertensive effects of sodium. In a study of almost 3,000 participants urine samples were collected intermittently over either 18 or 36 months. The participants, all 30-54 years old and had blood pressure just below levels considered high, were tracked for 10-15 years. Those in the study who had high sodium levels were 20% more likely to suffer from various forms of cardiovascular disease; however, these results were not considered statistically significant. In contrast, participants who had the highest sodium-to-potassium ratios were 50% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. This significant finding has the potential to totally change the way people view sodium and hypertension.

The study recommends that healthy individuals between 19-50 years old should consume 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (one teaspoon of table salt) and that should consume 4.7 grams of potassium, assuming they have no personal medical contradiction to said recommendations.

This is only one study, so its results should not be considered conclusive; however, it has long been recognized that too much salt can raise blood pressure in certain individuals and extreme potassium deficiencies can be dangerous.

For more information see:

Joint Effects of Sodium and Potassium Intake on Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease: The Trials of Hypertension Prevention Follow-up Study. Nancy R. Cook; Eva Obarzanek; Jeffrey A. Cutler; Julie E. Buring; Kathryn M. Rexrode; Shiriki K. Kumanyika; Lawrence J. Appel; Paul K. Whelton; for the Trials of Hypertension Prevention Collaborative Research Group. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(1):32-40. Can be found online at http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/1/32.