A study finds that a potassium-rich diet can improve heart health in women.
According to a press release published by Medicalnewstoday, a study found that by eating a potassium-rich diet, women might combat the effects of a high-sodium diet and potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study was published in the European Heart Journal.
This study, conducted by the UK’s EPIC-Norfolk study, involved approximately 25,000 participants, and the participants ranged in age from 40 to 79, with an average age of 59 for men and 58 for women.
At the start of the study, the researchers asked all participants to fill out a lifestyle questionnaire and took blood pressure measurements and collected urine samples to estimate sodium and potassium intake. After adjusting for age, sex, and sodium intake, the effect of potassium intake on blood pressure was analyzed.
They found a correlation between calipic acid and systolic blood pressure in women, with a decrease in systolic blood pressure with increasing potassium intake. The effect was greatest in women who consumed the most sodium. For women with high sodium intake, for every 1 gram increase in potassium intake daily, the systolic blood pressure decreased by 2.4 mm.
However, no association was found between potassium intake and blood pressure in men.
To increase your potassium intake, you should include foods high in potassium in your diet. Representative foods include bananas, sweet potatoes, dried fruits such as raisins and apricots, legumes such as beans/peas, seafood, and avocados.
