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Foods rich in potassium are important in managing high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Potassium can reduce the effects of sodium. Too much sodium has been shown to increase blood pressure. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose through urine.
Studies have shown that potassium deficiency not only increases blood pressure but increases the risk of heart attack and stroke as well. Getting enough potassium may have the opposite effect.
An expert explains why potassium can lower your blood pressure, which foods are best for potassium and why you shouldn’t overdo it on this essential nutrient.
Consuming a lot of sodium increases your blood pressure, while consuming potassium can help decrease it. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) says getting enough potassium can help prevent and even help treat high blood pressure. “Potassium is so important when it comes to blood pressure,” Zumpano states.
Foods with potassium can help control blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you process out of the body. It also helps relax blood vessel walls, which helps lower blood pressure.
Epidemiologic studies, including trials, suggest an association between potassium intake and blood pressure (BP). However, the strength and shape of this relationship is uncertain.
Dietary supplementation with potassium can lower BP in normal and hypertensive patients. Potassium channels, along with Na + -K + -ATPase (also known as Na + -K + pump), are central in determining the resting membrane potential and cell volume.
Potassium relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and protecting against muscle cramping. A number of studies have shown an association between low potassium intake and increased blood pressure and higher risk of stroke.
POTASSIUM INTAKE AND BLOOD PRESSURE. The level of potassium intake can affect blood pressure. The effect varies with the direction (low potassium intake raises the blood pressure, and high potassium intake lowers the blood pressure) and magnitude of change in potassium intake.
Although blood potassium levels can provide some indication of potassium status, they often correlate poorly with tissue potassium stores [3, 9, 10].