Potassium-enriched salt could prevent 30 lakh deaths a year, George Institute analysis says
Photo: Collected
Using potassium-enriched salt substitutes instead of ordinary table salt could prevent the deaths of about 30 lakh people worldwide every year. It could also prevent one crore new cases of heart and kidney disease. A new analysis says this healthier salt could significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure and various other deadly diseases.
British news outlet The Independent reported that, according to the George Institute for Global Health analysis, the substitute salt looks and tastes like ordinary salt but contains added potassium-rich ingredients. Potassium is an essential mineral that helps lower high blood pressure, keep the heartbeat regular and reduce the amount of calcium leaving the body through urine, which also lowers the risk of kidney stones. The salt, readily available online and in various shops, costs 6 to 20 dollars. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of this substitute salt last year.
According to the institute’s senior professor Bruce Neal, eating too much sodium and not enough potassium are well-established causes of high blood pressure. High blood pressure in turn is one of the main risk factors for deadly illnesses such as stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. He said using potassium-enriched salt tackles both of these dietary problems at once, which could have a significant positive impact on health.
Heart and blood vessel diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, killing about two crore people every year. Kidney disease kills about 15 lakh people a year. Worldwide, one in three adults aged 30 to 79 has high blood pressure; in all, the number is about 140 crore.
The situation in the United States is also worrying. People there consume far more sodium every day than doctors recommend. Government statistics show that about half of the country’s adults have high blood pressure. Bruce Neal believes sweeping changes are needed to reduce the risk of these diseases and deaths, especially in the food industry. By his account, more than 70 per cent of people’s total salt intake in Europe and North America comes from processed foods and restaurant meals.
The analysis says that if ordinary salt were completely replaced with potassium-enriched salt in 193 countries, more than one lakh four thousand deaths and about five lakh cases of heart and kidney disease could be prevented. Even if only people with high blood pressure switched to this salt, more than 10 lakh cases of heart and kidney disease could be prevented, it projects.
Bruce Neal said switching from ordinary salt to potassium-enriched salt worldwide is an ambitious goal, but it could be an effective start that gives countries the chance to consider the potential of the initiative. In his view, its possible benefits are far greater and its cost far lower than those of many drug-based treatments.
However, the research institute has also warned of some risks of the substitute salt. People with advanced kidney disease tend to have high levels of potassium in their blood, because damaged kidneys lose their normal ability to filter excess potassium from the blood.
An abnormal rise in blood potassium is known in medicine as ‘hyperkalaemia’. In many cases there are no visible symptoms until serious complications arise, but when it becomes severe it can lead to complications such as heart attack and temporary paralysis. Even so, the institute claims that the potential benefits of the substitute salt outweigh the risks even for people with advanced kidney disease.
The institute’s senior professor and kidney specialist Vivek Jha said people with severe kidney disease and those who take medicines that significantly raise blood potassium levels need to be especially careful.
In his view, this risk can be effectively controlled by ensuring proper patient awareness, warning information on product labels and supervision by doctors.
At a glance
According to a Business Today report of 29 January 2025, the WHO guideline recommends using potassium-enriched lower-sodium salt instead of ordinary table salt. A trial cited in the report found that using such salt for three months lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.6 and diastolic blood pressure by 1.1 millimetres of mercury.
Sources
Background sources: Business Today, 29 January 2025
