The authors admitted that several of the salt alternatives used in the studies were not confirmed and that some of them were bought by the participants rather than provided by the researchers.
The trials contrasted utilizing a salt substitute consisting of 25% to 30% potassium chloride and 60% to 75% sodium chloride with conventional salt, which is roughly 100% sodium chloride with occasional additional iodine.
The fact that salt consumption patterns in North America are “driven by processed and takeaway food, while consumption in the research context is more driven by the high amount of salt added during home food preparation,” according to Albarqouni, is another factor making it challenging to apply the findings to a Western setting.
Director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver and preventative cardiologist Dr. Andrew Freeman stated, “At this point, this is not the strongest study to base a lot of conclusions on.” However, it strengthens the body of research, and the signal amid the noise indicates eating more potassium and reducing sodium salt in your diet is healthier.
Furthermore, Freeman—who did not participate in the study—said, “Even though we know potassium is beneficial, salt is salt.” It’s all salt, whether it’s potassium, sodium, or magnesium chloride. And since potassium is most abundant in fruits and vegetables, eating them is the best way to get it into your body.
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