WHO Guideline: Replace Sodium With Potassium Salt
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently issued guidelines advising the use of lower-sodium salt substitutes. The first guideline recommends keeping sodium intake to less than 2 g/day. The second guideline recommends replacing regular table salt and starting using lower-sodium salt, K-salt, or potassium chloride substitutes high in potassium. This recommendation is for adults, excluding pregnant women, individuals with kidney impairments, or conditions that compromise potassium excretion.
What Is K-Salt?
K-salts are salts high in potassium. These salts, or potassium-based substitutes, replace sodium chloride in table salt with potassium chloride. There is evidence that increased potassium consumption can reduce blood pressure. Foods like peas, nuts, and beans, which are iron-rich foods, are high in potassium. Vegetables like spinach and cabbage and fruits like bananas and papayas are also packed with potassium.
The WHO guidelines are especially crucial for India, considering the burden of hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes, even in young people. According to an INDIAB study, around 35.5% of the country’s population, or 315 million people, are living with hypertension. A Global Burden of Disease study conducted by IHME (Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation) shared that cardiovascular diseases accounted for 28.1% of the total deaths that occurred in 2016 in India.
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