Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Review of 15 studies reveals that high potassium diets along with potassium supplementation significantly reduced blood pressure readings in those with normal or elevated blood pressures.
High blood pressure has been deemed a worldwide epidemic (1) and is estimated to cost our healthcare system $73 billion in 2009 (2). The National Institutes of Health classify a healthy blood pressure as 120/80 mmHg or less, a blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/90 as “prehypertension”, and 140/90 mmHg or greater as high blood pressure (3).
While increased levels of physical activity (4) and increased omega-3 fatty acid intake (5) may help maintain a healthy blood pressure, a new research review (6) suggests potassium may also be a benefit.
Researchers analyzed results from 15 studies in 917 patients not on high blood pressure medication who were put on high-potassium diets with supplementation (no placebo groups). They found that potassium supplementation decreased systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 4.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 3.5 mmHg (p < 0.05). These decreases were even greater in those with high blood pressure, seeing a decrease in systolic blood pressure by 6.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 4.6 mmHg (p < 0.05).
When looking at specific studies, a 1986 study (7) of 212 subjects (181 men, 31 women) between the ages of 51 and 53 was one of the most significance. It showed that a high-potassium diet (3,910 milligrams/day) for 12 weeks decreased systolic blood pressure by 8.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5.8 mmHg (p < 0.05).
In a 2001 study of 150 men and women aged 35 to 64 with an initial systolic blood pressure between 130 and 159 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 94 mmHg, 2,400 milligrams of potassium chloride didn’t significantly decrease diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.51) but did decrease systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg (p < 0.001). This led researchers to conclude that “increased potassium intake may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension.”
In addition, researchers analyzed data on potassium and sodium excreted in the urine. For potassium, the greatest blood pressure reductions were seen in those excreting 60-100 millimoles per day and correlated to ingesting 2,900 to 4,900 milligrams of potassium per day (p = 0.02). When they looked at the ratio of sodium to potassium in the urine, every unit of reduction in this ratio (observed through lower urine sodium levels, higher potassium levels, or both) decreased systolic blood pressure by 2.1mmHg (p = 0.035), a reduction that the researchers believe “could make a valuable contribution to preventive measures for hypertension.”
For the researchers, “Increasing potassium intake may represent a cost-effective approach to not only delay progression towards high blood pressure and its potential consequences, but also reduce the severity of the condition, possibly deferring the need for antihypertensive drugs.”
Source: Binia, Aristea, et al. “Daily potassium intake and sodium-to-potassium ratio in the reduction of blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Journal of hypertension 33.8 (2015): 1509-1520.
© 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
Posted July 7, 2015.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his website at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- Casas JP. Homocysteine and stroke: evidence on a causal link from Mendelian randomization. Lancet 2005; 365(9455): 224-232
- “May is high blood pressure education month” posted on the CDC website
- “What Is High Blood Pressure?” posted on the NIH website
- Huai P. Physical Activity and Risk of Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Hypertension. 2013 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print]
- Wang S. Fish oil supplementation improves large arterial elasticity in overweight hypertensive patients. Eur J Clin Nutr advance online publication, September 5, 2007; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602886
- Daily potassiumintake and sodium-to-potassiumratio in the reduction of blood pressure: ameta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Chalmers J, Morgan T, Doyle A, Dickson B, Hopper J, Mathews J, et al. Australian National Health and Medical Research Council dietary salt study in mild hypertension. J Hypertens Suppl 1986; 4:S629–637
- Gu D, He J, Wu X, Duan X, Whelton PK. Effect of potassium supplementation on blood pressure in Chinese: a randomized, placebocontrolled trial. J Hypertens 2001; 19:1325–1331.
