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% …