Eating meals corresponding to bananas, avocados and salmon might assist reduce the negative results of salt in the food regimen of girls, new analysis suggests.
The study discovered that potassium-rich diets had been related to decrease blood strain, notably in girls with excessive salt consumption.
Researchers say their findings point out the mineral helps protect coronary heart well being, however that ladies profit greater than males.
According to the study, the connection between potassium and harm to the center was the identical regardless of salt consumption, suggesting that potassium has different methods of defending the center on high of growing sodium excretion in the urine.
In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the best well being beneficial properties in girls
Liffert Vogt, Amsterdam University Medical Centres
Study creator Professor Liffert Vogt of Amsterdam University Medical Centres, the Netherlands, mentioned: “It is well known that high salt consumption is associated with elevated blood pressure and a raised risk of heart attacks and strokes.
“Health advice has focused on limiting salt intake but this is difficult to achieve when our diets include processed foods.
“Potassium helps the body excrete more sodium in the urine.
“In our study, dietary potassium was linked with the greatest health gains in women.”
The study included 11,267 males and 13,696 girls of the Epic-Norfolk study, which recruited 40 to 79-year-olds from common practices in Norfolk, UK, between 1993 and 1997.
Everyone accomplished a questionnaire on way of life habits, blood strain was measured, and a urine pattern was collected.
Urinary sodium and potassium had been used to estimate dietary consumption.
Researchers analysed the hyperlink between potassium consumption and blood strain, and discovered that potassium consumption (in grams per day) was related to blood strain in girls.
NHS recommends that adults (aged 19 to 64) want 3,500mg of potassium a day” data-source=”NHS”>
They found that as intake of the mineral went up, blood pressure went down.
When the association was analysed according to salt intake, the relationship between potassium and blood pressure was only observed in women with high sodium intake.
During an average follow-up of 19.5 years, 13,596 people were admitted to hospital or died due to cardiovascular disease.
Overall, they found that people who had the highest potassium intake had a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to those with the lowest intake.
When men and women were analysed separately, the risk reductions were 7% and 11%, respectively.
The amount of salt in the diet did not influence the relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events in men or women, the researchers found.
Prof Vogt said: “The results suggest that potassium helps preserve heart health, but that women benefit more than men.
“The relationship between potassium and cardiovascular events was the same regardless of salt intake, suggesting that potassium has other ways of protecting the heart on top of increasing sodium excretion.”
The NHS recommends that adults (aged 19 to 64) need 3,500mg of potassium a day, and should be able to get this from their daily diet.
This analysis helps present recommendation that reducing down our consumption of salt and consuming extra meals containing potassium could be the recipe for a more healthy coronary heart
Tracy Parker, British Heart Foundation
High potassium meals embrace greens, fruit, nuts, beans, dairy merchandise and fish.
For instance, a 115 gram banana has 375mg of potassium, 154 grams of cooked salmon has 780mg, a 136 gram potato has 500mg, and one cup of milk has 375mg.
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian on the British Heart Foundation (BHF), mentioned: “This research supports current advice that cutting down our intake of salt and eating more foods containing potassium can be the recipe for a healthier heart.
“An easy way to boost your potassium intake is by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
“Other foods like pulses, fish, nuts, seeds and milk are also high in potassium and low in salt, so can help benefit your heart.
“However, keeping healthy isn’t just about monitoring what’s on your plate.
“Limiting your alcohol intake and staying physically active will also help to lower your blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.”
The findings are revealed in the European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
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