Simple salt substitute could prevent three million deaths a year worldwide, study estimates

A new study published in Nature Health suggests that swapping regular table salt for a potassium-enriched salt blend could prevent nearly three million deaths and 10 million new cases of heart and kidney disease each year worldwide. The Street reported that Professor Bruce Neal, Senior Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, discussed the research, explaining that regular salt consists of sodium chloride where the sodium component pushes up blood pressure. High blood pressure is described as the single most common cause of premature death and disability globally. According to The Street, average global sodium consumption is about four grams a day, which is roughly eight times the amount consumed during the paleolithic era. Professor Neal noted that efforts over the last 20 years to get individuals and food companies to cut back on salt have proven very difficult because people like salty flavor. \n\nTo address this, researchers modeled the impact of switching the type of salt rather than reducing the amount consumed. The proposed salt substitute involves taking out some sodium chloride and replacing it with potassium chloride. Nature World News and other outlets reported that the modeling study estimates switching to this potassium blend could prevent nearly 3 million deaths a year. The Street explained that this creates a double benefit by lowering sodium intake and increasing potassium intake, both of which reduce blood pressure. During human evolution, diets included about 10 grams of potassium a day, but the industrialization of the food system over the last 100 years has dropped that level to about a quarter of that, and eating too little potassium also causes blood pressure to rise, according to the sources. Sci.News and Fox News also reported on the modeling study estimates regarding the millions of lives that could be saved. \n\nRegarding taste, The Street reported that the researchers worked with a 25-75 combination containing mostly sodium chloride and 25 percent potassium chloride. Professor Neal stated that higher concentrations like 50 percent or two-thirds can introduce a slightly metallic taste, but at the 25-75 combination, most people do not notice a difference. In a very large study reported a few years ago, 11,000 people were given potassium-enriched salt for five years, and more than 90 percent of them were still using it after five years, demonstrating strong acceptance from a taste perspective.