A recently published modeling analysis (PMID: 39447116) looked at how dietary potassium and sodium affect blood pressure through renal sodium handling and fluid balance regulation (including in the analysis known sex differences).

Study: The modeling used validated sex-specific differences in human kidney physiology.

Potassium intake was doubled from baseline values while sodium intake was held at twice typical dietary levels, approximating intakes in industrialized societies.

Models evaluated how changes in electrolyte intake influenced renal sodium transport, kidney excretion of sodium, and systemic blood pressure.

Findings: Systolic blood pressure reduction: – Doubling potassium intake led to a predicted 14 mmHg decrease in men and 10 mmHg in women, despite persistently high sodium intake (2x recommended amounts).

Electrolyte Balance: – Restoration of a higher potassium-to-sodium intake ratio aligned with evolutionary dietary patterns and improved modelled cardiovascular outcomes.

CONCLUSION : Adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium. Researchers suggest that “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.”