top Clinical Studies References
Potassium is a mineral that helps maintain cellular integrity and water balance, nerve transmission and energy metabolism. It is necessary for muscle contraction and nerve impulse conduction. Potassium helps to lower blood pressure, lower risk of stroke, maintain muscle balance and prevent muscle cramping. It helps to reduce the amount of sodium in the body and is essential for normal growth development and lifespan.
Potassium may be beneficial for high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, myasthenia gravis, muscle weakness, premenstrual syndrome and stroke prevention.
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Published Clinical Studiesclin
Nutritional and metabolic aspects of stroke prevention.1
Spence JD.
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre, Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
Epidemiologic evidence, animal studies, angiographic and ultrasound studies in humans, and a limited number of clinical trials suggest that vitamins C and E may be protective and that folate, B6, and B12, by lowering homocysteine levels, may reduce stroke. However, these hypotheses require testing before widespread use of supplementary vitamins can be generally recommended (62). Clinical trials under way will test those hypotheses. In the meantime, it should be understood that the role of diet is much more important than is widely recognized. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, low in sodium, high in potassium and calcium, and containing a lot of fruits and vegetables reduces blood pressure as much as an antihypertensive drug and in coronary patients is twice as effective as statin drugs in reducing death and myocardial infarction. Such a diet can therefore be confidently recommended as a source not only of natural proportions of vitamins and antioxidants but also for benefits that we are only beginning to define.
Publication Types:
PMID: 12760180 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Lifestyle modifications in the prevention and treatment of hypertension.2
Dickey RA, Janick JJ.
OBJECTIVE: To present an objective, evidence-based review of the current literature on the role of lifestyle factors in hypertension. METHODS: We discuss the reported roles of obesity and overweight, nutritional factors, alcohol, physical activity, and smoking in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. RESULTS: For all age-groups and in both sexes, cross-sectional and prospective studies have shown a direct strong relationship between weight and blood pressure. In general, overweight is associated with a twofold to sixfold increase in the risk of developing hypertension. Clinical trials have proved that weight loss is effective in the primary prevention of hypertension as well as in the reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with normal or high blood pressure. A decreased intake of dietary sodium has been demonstrated to have a hypotensive effect, both alone and as an adjunctive measure to pharmacologic therapy. Although no consensus currently exists about the role of potassium intake in prevention or control of hypertension, some studies support the protective value of high intake of potassium. A consistent relationship has been noted between consumption of alcohol and increased blood pressure, and reduced intake of alcohol has been shown to decrease blood pressure significantly. An inverse relationship exists between blood pressure and physical activity, independent of overweight or obesity. Moreover, increased physical activity helps lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In a study of the effect of smoking and use of smokeless tobacco in healthy middle-aged men, ambulatory diastolic blood pressures were increased in both smokers and smokeless tobacco users in comparison with nonusers. CONCLUSION: Ample evidence supports the beneficial effects of healthful lifestyle modifications in the prevention and management of hypertension. Therefore, physicians should be motivated to provide guidance to the population relative to lifestyle practices that can help prevent and control hypertension.
PMID: 11585378 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Lifestyle, health and disease prevention: the underlying mechanisms.3
Weisburger JH.
American Health Foundation, 1 Dana Road, Valhalla, New York, NY 10595, USA. jweisbur@ahf.org
International studies in geographic pathology provide background information that a disease may have a quite different incidence and resulting mortality as a function of area of residence. Investigations in animals can model fairly precisely what is learned through such international research, and provide the basis for examining relevant hypotheses and, more importantly, possible mechanisms of action. These approaches can yield public health recommendations and health promotion activities. Regular intake of foods rich in saturated fats, such as meat and certain dairy products, raises the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in smokers. The total mixed fat intake is associated with a higher incidence of the nutritionally linked cancers (i.e. of the postmenopausal breast, distal colon, prostate, pancreas, ovary and endometrium). Monounsaturated oils, such as olive or canola oil, are low-risk fats, as shown in animal models, and through the finding that the incidence of coronary heart and neoplastic diseases is lower in the Mediterranean region, where such oils are customarily used. Fish and fish oils are protective. The associated genotoxic carcinogens for several of these cancers, and also in heart disease causation, are heterocyclic amines, produced during the broiling and frying of creatinine-containing foods such as meats. Excessive salt intake is associated with high blood pressure and with stomach cancer, especially with inadequate intake of potassium, from fruits and vegetables, and calcium from certain vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Bran cereal fiber intake, especially with adequate calcium, yields an increased stool bulk, eliminating factors involved in colon and breast cancer. Vegetables and fruits, as well as soy products, are rich in antioxidants that are essential to lower disease risk stemming from reactive oxygen species in the body. Green and black tea are excellent sources of such beneficial antioxidants of a polyphenol nature, as are cocoa and chocolates. Antioxidants also extend healthy aging and may protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Nutritional lifestyles can be described for most populations in the world and offer the possibility of a healthy long life.
PMID: 12570328 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
New developments in the management of hypertension.4
Magill MK, Gunning K, Saffel-Shrier S, Gay C.
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132-2118, USA. michael.magill@hsc.utah.edu
The management of hypertension has evolved over the past decade. Isolated systolic blood pressure elevation, the most common form of uncontrolled hypertension, is recognized as a significant risk factor for vascular complications in patients with hypertension. Nutritional management of hypertension has moved beyond simply restricting sodium intake to ensuring that patients consume adequate amounts of the major food groups, particularly those containing calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Selective aldosterone receptor blockers are a new class of antihypertensive medication, and the angiotensin-receptor blocker class has several new additions. However, the main-stay of treatment remains a diuretic or a combination of a diuretic and either a beta blocker or an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. Hypertension is a significant risk factor for vascular complications of diabetes, and the target blood pressure in patients with diabetes or chronic renal disease and hypertension should be lower than that in patients with hypertension alone. Controlling hypertension in elderly patients can reduce their complications at least as much as it does those of younger patients with hypertension.
PMID: 13678132 [PubMed - in process]
[In Process Citation]5
Suter PM.
Medizinische Poliklinik, Hypertoniesprechstunde, Universitatspital, Zurich. paolo.suter@usz.ch
In view of the very efficient pharmacological therapy of hypertension the nonpharmacological strategies are nearly forgotten. Many nutritional strategies are known to reduce blood pressure. In the past single strategies have been implemented with variable success. Salt restriction leads to lowering of blood pressure in salt sensitive individuals. In daily practice the restriction of salt is still the top priority. However, salt restriction alone is often not successful. A change in the whole dietary pattern, i.e. a reasonable restriction of salt intake in combination with an increased potassium intake from food as well as control of body weight has a much higher potential for blood pressure reduction. Potassium rich food is usually low in sodium, in addition potassium has favorable effects on sodium handling (e.g. natriuretic effect of potassium). In addition it is easier to implement a moderate sodium restriction in combination with a higher potassium intake (i.e. a diet rich in fruits and vegetables). Future strategies should focus on a global moderate change in the diet and life style pattern.
PMID: 14699782 [PubMed - in process]
Nutritional factors in the control of blood pressure and hypertension.6
Suter PM, Sierro C, Vetter W.
Differing hypertension prevalence rates between certain population and age groups are partially due to differences in the intake of certain nutrients. Blood pressure is positively associated with higher sodium, alcohol, and protein intakes; it is inversely associated with potassium, calcium, and magnesium intakes. Salt may lead to an increase in blood pressure in the presence of salt sensitivity, but there is no inexpensive or easy strategy to identify salt-sensitive patients. Other risk factors for hypertension include obesity and lack of regular physical activity. The best strategy appears to be moderate salt restriction (6-7 g/day) in combination with an optimal compliance of the antihypertensive drug therapy, as well as adoption of the combination diet of the DASH study--a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and thus rich in potassium. Current evidence does not support the increased intake of Ca2+ or Mg2+ for blood-pressure-lowering purposes only; however, calcium and magnesium may represent important components in the combination diet of the DASH study. It seems that it is the combination of these nutrients that is of crucial importance for the achievement of optimal blood-pressure reduction. Also recommended is a decrease in alcohol consumption and an increase in regular physical activity. Instead of a severe intervention with regard to 1 risk factor alone, positive changes in 5 habits combined--high salt intake, high sodium-to-potassium ratio, alcohol intake, calorie imbalance, and a sedentary life--may be the most realistic and effective strategy to counteract the present hypertension epidemic.
PMID: 12134718 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
7 High salt intake appears to increase bone resorption in postmenopausal women but high potassium intake ameliorates this adverse effect.
Harrington M, Cashman KD.
Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College, Cork, Ireland.
A high-salt diet increases urinary calcium excretion. Its effect on bone, however, is less clear. Recent research suggests that a high-salt diet increases the rate of bone resorption in postmenopausal women over a 4-week period, but increased potassium intake (as potassium citrate) ameliorates this adverse effect. These findings may have implications for the development of dietary guidelines for osteoporosis prevention.
PMID: 12822707 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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