Rather than focusing on reducing sodium intake, most people experiencing high blood pressure are probably better advised to reduce consumption of highly processed foods, to eat more fruits and vegetables to increase potassium intake, and to get regular cardiovascular exercise. High amounts of salt are already added to practically all processed and prepared foods. The best thing you can do is break the habit of adding even more. It’s been proposed that our ancient ancestors consumed the equivalent of less than 1,000 mg of salt per day. Now we’re eating around 10,000 mg daily! Even if you can’t achieve that low benchmark, minor decreases can result in major risk reduction for strokes and ischemic heart disease. ( 3)

Drake, S. L.; Drake, M. A. (2011). "Comparison of Salty Taste and Time Intensity of Sea and Land Salts from Around the World". Journal of Sensory Studies. 26 (1): 25–34. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00317.x. ISSN 1745-459X. Brand A, Visser ME, Schoonees A, Naude CE (2022). "Replacing salt with low-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) for cardiovascular health in adults, children and pregnant women". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 (8): CD015207. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015207. PMC 9363242. PMID 35944931. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)Slow-K is a prescription medication and the amount of potassium chloride in Lo Salt and similar products will be significantly lower. Our magazine is full of lifestyle advice, recipes, activities and support to help you live well. Read our latest articles World Health Organization (2012). Guideline. Sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva, Switzerland. ISBN 978-92-4-150483-6. OCLC 849715509. {{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) Maluly, Hellen D. B.; Arisseto-Bragotto, Adriana P.; Reyes, Felix G. R. (November 2017). "Monosodium glutamate as a tool to reduce sodium in foodstuffs: Technological and safety aspects". Food Science & Nutrition. 5 (6): 1039–1048. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.499. PMC 5694874. PMID 29188030. The leading salt substitutes are non-sodium table salts, which have their tastes as a result of compounds other than sodium chloride. Non-sodium salts reduce daily sodium intake and reduce the health effects of this element.

True, it is an essential mineral for humans that serves as an electrolyte. However, the same holds true for other life forms… like the plants and animals you eat. Various diseases and medications may decrease the body's excretion of potassium, thereby increasing the risk of potentially fatal hyperkalemia. People with kidney failure, heart failure, or diabetes are not recommended to use salt substitutes without medical advice. LoSalt, a salt substitute manufacturer, has issued an advisory statement [13] that people taking the following prescription drugs should not use a salt substitute: amiloride, triamterene, Dytac, captopril and other angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, spironolactone, and eplerenone. Even if the food we eat doesn’t taste salty, it might still be high in salt. But there are many foods that are naturally low in salt and sodium. You can reduce the number of salty foods you eat by swapping to less salty options. Trying new recipes and seasonings can also help you make your meals exciting and satisfying. The recommended daily intake of salt (or sodium) includes the amount already added it ready-made and processed foods, as well as the salt you add when you cook and eat. Age Florence Fabricant, "To Sprinkle: Add Some Green To Your Salt Lineup", New York Times, August 11, 2021, p. D3; online version "Add Green to Your Salt Lineup" August 9, 2021Due to the cardiac effects it has, potassium chloride is actually one of the drugs used in lethal injections. These types of salts are usually less refined (less processed) than table salt. But their amount of sodium and nutrients are similar to table salt. They can still put you at risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. In a clinical study of 224 people with high blood pressure, the C-reactive protein (CRP) level – which is a time tested way to measure inflammation – was found to be “significantly higher” in the group consuming the most salt in their diet, relative to the low and medium salt-intake groups. ( 1)

In 2021, a large randomised controlled trial of 20,995 older people in China found that use of a potassium salt substitute in home cooking over a five-year period reduced the risk of stroke by 14%, major cardiovascular events by 13% and all-cause mortality by 12% compared to use of regular table salt. [6]

Huynh, Hue Linh; Danhi, Robert; Yan, See Wan (27 November 2015). "Using Fish Sauce as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in Culinary Sauces and Effects on Sensory Properties". Journal of Food Science. 81 (1): S150–S155. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.13171. PMID 26613570.

Other less serious reactions from reduced sodium salt substitutes include upset stomach, diarrhea, and tingling in the fingers, hands, and/or feet. The tingling is caused by throwing off the body’s electrolyte balance, which can alter nerve sensations. After several weeks of no added salt, foods which are mildly or moderately salted will begin to taste salty once again, without the shaker. It just takes time for your palate to adapt to that new normal. A lot of the food we eat already has salt in it. In fact, around three quarters of the salt we eat on a daily basis has already been added to our food before we buy it.Jarosz, Mirosław; Rychlik, Ewa; Stoś, Katarzyna; Wierzejska, Regina; Wojtasik, Anna; Charzewska, Jadwiga; Mojska, Hanna; Szponar, Lucjan; Sajór, Iwona (2017). Normy żywienia dla populacji Polski (in Polish). Warszawa: Instytut Żywności i Żywienia. ISBN 978-83-86060-89-4. OCLC 1022820929. Yin X, Rodgers A, Perkovic A, Huang L, Li KC, Yu J; etal. (2022). "Effects of salt substitutes on clinical outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Heart. 108 (20): 1608–1615. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2022-321332. PMID 35945000. S2CID 251468854. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link) Review in: Brophy, James (2022). "In the general population, salt substitutes vs. Regular salt reduce BP levels, CV outcomes, and mortality". Annals of Internal Medicine. 175 (12): JC139. doi: 10.7326/J22-0091. PMID 36469919. S2CID 254247591. Salt is the biggest source of sodium in our diets. A small amount of sodium is vital to our survival, but because salt is often hidden in the food we eat, it’s very easy to consume more sodium than our bodies actually need.