The Pros and Cons of Potassium Salt: A Table Salt Alternative for Hypertension and More

Across the world, about 20 people die every minute due to issues stemming from high blood pressure. Of these deaths, 20 percent of those with high blood pressure eat too much salt. While those in the medical profession urge people with high blood pressure to drastically cut their salt intake, many do not. This is mainly because food with very little salt tends to taste quite bland. Changing to potassium salt, however, may solve this problem.

The number of people globally suffering from hypertension, or high blood pressure, has significantly increased over the past thirty years. A high salt intake is one of the main culprits for this condition. This means that, if you have high blood pressure, it is necessary to take a different approach to what you eat and how you flavor it.

The sodium-enriched salt we currently use can contribute to high blood pressure, while potassium salt may help reduce blood pressure levels. This is because, while sodium may encourage elevated blood pressure levels, potassium may help reduce blood pressure levels because of its ability to ease tension on your blood vessel walls¹. People suffering from hypertension also tend to have low potassium levels.

Potassium Salt vs. Sodium-Enriched Salt

Sodium-enriched salt, also known as common table salt or sodium chloride, is commonly used in homes worldwide. But our salt intake does not only come from foods cooked and eaten at home. This salt is present in most of our snacks, fast foods, and processed foods. Thus, it is easy to consume much more sodium chloride than you think.

Why You Need Sodium-Enriched Salt

However, sodium chloride is not a bad thing. It plays an essential role in various body processes. It even plays an important role in the medical field. The issue lies in consuming too much of this essential mineral.²

Our bodies need sodium chloride for:

• Maintaining blood pressure levels
• Maintaining a balance in body fluids
• The absorption and transportation of nutrients
• Muscle contraction and relaxation
• Nerve signal transmission

The medical use of sodium chloride includes:

• Nasal irrigation to clear nasal congestion
• Wound cleaning
• To address eye issues
• To flush catheters

Why You Need Potassium Salt

As mentioned, many people with high blood pressure have low potassium levels in their bodies. We refer to this as hypokalemia. Conditions associated with hypokalemia include cardiac disease, renal failure, malnutrition, and shock.³

Potassium salt occurs naturally from either the sea or the ground. It is a relatively safe alternative to table salt (sodium chloride).

Interestingly, a 2020 study highlights the rising number of hypokalemia cases in the US and attributes it to the food choices we make. This includes eating processed foods and other foods with low potassium levels.⁴

Potassium plays a key role in various body functions. These include the following:

• Blood pressure regulation
• Regulating your heartbeat
• The movement of nutrients into the cells
• Nerve signaling
• Muscle contractions

Potassium Salt Health Benefits

Consuming potassium salt has more health benefits than just helping to lower blood pressure levels and thus reduce your stroke or heart attack risk.

Some research indicates that potassium may help reduce your risk of bone loss if suffering from osteoporosis. This is especially the case in older, postmenopausal women.⁵ This is because potassium plays a role in your body’s ability to retain calcium in your renal tissue for later bone resorption.

The mineral also reduces an internal acidic environment due to its alkaline nature. An acidic body points to a body in a state of stress and is associated with numerous health conditions. An acidic environment promotes the growth of unhealthy organisms, including cancer cells or tumors. This may result in interrupted healthy cellular activities and disrupted functions.

A diet higher in potassium salt and lower in sodium may also see a reduced risk of kidney stone development.⁶

Another benefit of potassium salt is its actions around diabetes and blood sugar levels. Research has found a significant association between lower potassium salt levels, an increase in insulin production, and lower insulin sensitivity.⁷ 

Potassium Salt and Sodium Chloride: A Fine Balancing Act

Potassium salt and sodium chloride work together in a fine balancing act in your body at a cellular level. Both electrolytes, their activity vastly differs. Yet both play an important role in maintaining cellular health and balance. Both are also cations, i.e., positively charged ions.

Sodium is the electrolyte found mainly on the outside of your cells, while we mainly find potassium on the inside. These two electrolytes, when in a state of balance, maintain cellular health and activity and together, promote proper bodily functions.

Yet most of us experience these two important salts in a state of imbalance within our bodies. We usually have higher sodium concentrations and lower-than-normal levels of potassium salt. This could ultimately result in various health issues. Those most talked about mainly arise from the disruption the imbalance can cause on our Cardionomic circuit. These imbalances and resulting Cardionomic circuit disruption can have a devastating effect on those suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Causes of Low Potassium Levels

Besides diet, lower potassium levels could also be caused by:

• Eating too little, especially too little of the right foods
• The use of certain medications
• Vomiting
• Chronic diarrhea
• Sweating excessively
• Mineralocorticoid excess, where you have high blood pressure due to genes inherited from both parents
• High cortisol levels, e.g., like in those with Cushing’s syndrome
• The use of insulin
• The presence of excess thyroid hormones
• Adrenal glands releasing high amounts of the hormone aldosterone, which is used by the kidneys to conserve sodium. Aldosterone is needed to balance your different electrolyte levels. High levels of this hormone may result in higher sodium levels and thus a potassium imbalance.

Possible Consequences of Low Potassium Salt Levels

People with low potassium salt levels can suffer from a large variety of health issues. These include:

• Fatigue for no apparent reason
• Legs that cramp
• Gut health issues like constipation
• Kidney issues
• Muscle weakness
• Abnormal heartbeat
• High blood pressure

Your Cardionomic Circuit

The Cardionomic circuit is part of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response. The NEM stress response refers to the actions asked of all body components by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress.

Your Cardionomic circuit plays a major role in this response. The circuit consists of the cardiovascular system, autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. Although the Cardionomic circuit falls within the neuroendocrine component, is also related to other body systems. The adrenal glands, cardiovascular system, and autonomic nervous system play major roles in controlling the Cardionomic circuit.

Lower potassium levels can influence the Cardionomic circuit in various ways. Firstly, lower potassium salt levels could cause stress on your body due to an imbalance that results in a discrepancy between potassium and sodium levels at a cellular level. This stress may result in the HPA sending chemical messengers to activate your NEM stress response. You would then experience the fight or flight response. This response is associated with elevated blood pressure levels and an increased heart rate due to the release of stress hormones by the adrenal glands.

If not attended to, the situation may persist, and you could develop chronic high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias that may ultimately lead to you needing medical attention. Increasing your potassium salt intake may help to improve matters.

How Potassium Salt Lowers Blood Pressure Levels

Potassium salt can help lower your blood pressure levels in different ways. The most direct way is through your kidneys, where this mineral can help your kidneys to secrete any excess sodium. Remember, high sodium levels increase your blood pressure levels. The excess sodium is excreted in your urine. Furthermore, potassium has a beneficial effect on vascular health. It helps to ease the tension in blood vessel walls. Less tense blood vessel walls result in a better flow of blood throughout the body, including to and from the heart and brain. This means that it may help protect against the incidence of heart disease and even reduce your risk of stroke.

Natural Potassium Sources

Many foods contain potassium. These include:

• carrots
• spinach
• leafy green vegetables
• lima beans
• legumes
• avocados
• kiwi
• nectarine
• cantaloupe
• salmon
• potatoes

Ideally, you should get your daily requirement of potassium from the foods you eat. Consuming at least 3500 mg of potassium daily may help lower your risk of high blood pressure, but stay below 4700 mg.

Ingesting High Amounts of Potassium Salt: Safety Concerns

As with all things, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. This also applies to potassium salt.

People on medications designed to lower blood pressure levels as well as those with damaged kidney or kidney disease should refrain from taking potassium in high amounts. Instead, if considering switching to potassium salt, first talk to your healthcare provider. They are best able to determine its suitability as part of your diet.

You should also first consult your healthcare provider if you have any of the following issues:

• Adrenal gland issues
• Diabetes
• Gastrointestinal issues like intestinal bleeding, chronic diarrhea, or slow digestion

People suffering from adrenal fatigue see a reduction in their aldosterone and thus have lower sodium and higher potassium levels. Taking potassium salt could exacerbate their condition.

People suffering from heart disease should also be cautious as excessive potassium use could affect heart function.

Ingesting high quantities of potassium can also negatively affect healthy individuals, similar to the case with salt. Ingesting too much potassium salt may result in the following symptoms:

• Digestive health issues like vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and loose stools.
• Impaired nerve function that may develop into neurological issues like feeling pins and needles in your limbs.
• Shortness of breath, as the high potassium levels in your blood start to affect the muscles in your chest that control your breathing.
• Your heart rate may become irregular. It may be too fast or too slow. You may experience chest pains and heart palpitations. It could also result in heart failure.

If you experience any of these symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately.

In Closing

While potassium salt may help reduce blood pressure and has many other benefits, taking too much could lead to various health issues as well. It is best to try to get your daily potassium allowance from the foods you eat. If taking potassium salt to help address your health issues, do so in moderation. If you have certain medical conditions, it's best to first talk to your doctor about it. Also, if you see any new symptoms arising, please get in touch with your healthcare provider. If you have questions about adrenal fatigue, give our team of experts a call at +1 (626) 571-1234, and we will help guide you on the right path.