Research shows that boosting levels of potassium in
the diet may lower a person's risk of developing
high blood pressure and may decrease blood pressure
in people who already have "hypertension."
High blood pressure remains the chief reason for visits
to doctors' offices and for prescription drug use in the
U.S., two researchers from Nashville, Tennessee note in
a special supplement to The Journal of Clinical
Hypertension this month.
Dr. Mark C. Houston, from Vanderbilt University
School of Medicine and Dr. Karen J. Harper from Harper
Medical Communications, Inc. in Nashville, also point
out that a healthy intake of potassium is thought to
be one reason why vegetarians and isolated populations
have a very low incidence of heart disease.
In isolated societies consuming diets low in sodium and
high in fruits and vegetables, which have and therefore
high levels of potassium, hypertension affects only 1
percent of the population, they note. In contrast,
in industrialized societies, where people consume diets
high in processed foods and large amounts of dietary
sodium 1 in 3 persons have hypertension.
The typical American diet contains about double the
sodium and half the potassium that is currently
recommended in dietary guidelines. Low potassium
intake is thought to contribute to the prevalence of
high blood pressure in Americans.
Based on their review of published studies on the topic,
Houston and Harper say if Americans were to boost their
potassium intake, the number of adults with known high
blood pressure could fall by more than 10 percent. In
2006, the American Heart Association issued new
guidelines calling for Americans to get 4.7 grams per
day of potassium.
"An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is
probably the most important dietary choice (after weight
loss) that should be implemented to reduce
cardiovascular disease," Houston and Harper
contend.
Some studies also show that diets containing at least
500 to 1,000 milligrams magnesium daily and more than
800 milligrams of calcium daily may help lower blood
pressure and the risk of developing high blood pressure.
"A high intake of these minerals through increased
consumption of fruits and vegetables may improve blood
pressure levels and reduce coronary heart disease
and stroke," Houston and Harper conclude.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist
at the pH Miracle Living Center, "the body uses sodium
to produce magnesium and potassium and potassium to
produce calcium. Increased amounts of colloidal
unprocessed mineral salts of sodium have shown to
be helpful in lowering blood pressure when high and
increasing blood pressure when low. The greatest
healthful impact that colloidal mineral salts of sodium,
magnesium, potassium and calcium have on the heart is
to reduce the number of beats per minute to a more
healthful level - generally under 70 beats per minute.
To learn more about colloidal mineral salts go to:
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/phlavor.htm
http://www.phmiracleliving.com/pHourSalts.htm
Resources:
Journal of Clinical Hypertension, July 2008.
The pH Miracle for Weight Loss
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