REDUCING your salt intake is a popular health recommendation, particularly when it comes to lowering blood pressure.
But scientists have now found a potentially more effective way of keeping your reading in check.
New research from the University of Waterloo suggests eating foods like bananas, which are rich in potassium, may be may be more effective for curbing blood pressure levels than simply reducing sodium intake.
A single banana can be bought for as little as 16p from and .
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects 30 per cent of adults globally.
It's the leading cause of coronary and , and can lead to other serious conditions, including chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and .
“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt,” saidAnita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.
“Our research suggests that adding more to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium.”
Sodium and potassium areessential that your body needs to maintain fluid balance, nerve and muscle function, as well as blood pressure.
“Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body's regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet,” saidMelissa Stadt, a PhD candidate in Waterloo's Department of Applied Mathematics and the lead author of the study.
“Today, western diets tend to be much higher in sodium and lower in potassium. That may explain why high blood pressure is found mainly in industrialised societies, not in isolated societies.”
Previous research has found increasing potassium intake can help control blood pressure.
But in this study, to understand how increasing potassium intake can help control blood pressure, the team developed a mathematical model.
The model identifies how the ratio of potassium to sodium impacts the body.
It showed men develop high blood pressure more easily than pre- women.
However, men were also more likely to respond positively to an increased ratio of potassium to sodium.
The researchers emphasised mathematical models like the one used in this study help identify how different factors impact the body quickly, cheaply and ethically.
A study published in April 2024 suggested eating just an extra gram of potassium – the equivalent of two medium bananas – per day could be enough to tackle high blood pressure.
Foods highest in potassium includepotatoes (especially with their skin still on), sweet potatoes, spinach, and lima beans.
Other good sources include avocados, dried apricots, kidney beans, and various nuts.
Find out other ways you can and slash your risk of heart disease and stroke below…
