Traditional advice for managing high blood pressure has favored lowering sodium intake; however, new evidence suggests that increasing potassium may significantly support this effort, and the potassium-to-sodium ratio may be a more accurate indicator of cardiovascular health.
A new report, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, makes a case for updating current hypertension-lowering guidelines, recommending that people increase their potassium intake while also reducing their sodium intake to most effectively manage blood pressure.
Considering that most Americans consume around 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, which exceeds the 2,300 mg recommended by federal and health guidelines, this advice becomes more pertinent. Most of this intake, approximately 70%, is also from restaurants and processed foods.
Adding to the mix the fact that over 98% of U.S. adults fail to meet daily dietary recommendations for potassium as well, these statistics begin to explain why hypertension has earned the nickname of “silent killer.”
Often progressing over the years without any apparent symptoms, high blood pressure affects about 120 million people in the U.S.
Medical News Today spoke to three experts — Leonard Pianko, MD, board-certified cardiologist in Florida, Yaz Daaboul, MD, a cardiologist leading the Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and Jen Hernandez, RDN, CSR, LDN, board-certified renal dietitian — to discuss how increasing potassium intake can help better manage blood pressure and whether certain groups of people should be careful about their potassium intake.
Recent research has demonstrated that the sodium-to-potassium ratio is a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular outcomes than sodium alone. High sodium intake has also been linked to a greater risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
“A 2025 meta-analysis found that adding about 2,000 mg of potassium per day could reduce systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg [millimeters of mercury] and diastolic blood pressure by about 3 mgHg in people with hypertension,” Hernandez said.
The way potassium helps achieve this balance is by counterbalancing the effects of sodium, helping to excrete excess sodium from the body and promoting relaxation of blood vessels.
Pianko said that while the current standard favors a low sodium diet to help lower blood pressure, the conversation about adding potassium to diet is not new.
“Potassium is a vital mineral to maintain homeostasis, and too high or too low levels can be deleterious to your health. This report emphasizes how sodium and potassium work together to regulate fluid balance and blood pressure and how balanced eating, such as the DASH eating plan, is effective in lowering blood pressure,” he explained.
Hernandez reiterated that increasing potassium without decreasing sodium can still help with high blood pressure. The 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical practice guidelines state that a moderate increase in potassium alone can lower blood pressure by approximately 6/4 mmHg on average, she said.
“However, the most powerful way to reduce and control blood pressure is a combination of increasing potassium while sticking to a low sodium diet,” Hernandez stressed.
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“The balance is key. A patient should never assume that diet alone will reduce blood pressure completely. Dietary changes complement medication,” Pianko said.
When asked how people can tell if they need to increase their potassium intake, Hernandez offered the following advice:
“A good starting point when considering if you should increase your potassium or not is to start with a food journal. There are some great apps and online journals available that can provide an estimate of your potassium intake”
“Taking this information to your physician or dietitian is a great place to start the conversation as well as set specific realistic goals on how much potassium to aim for daily, as well as ideas on how to reach your daily potassium goal,” she said.
Increasing potassium intake is unlikely to have immediate effects and may take many weeks to show results.
“The response is very individual. Some respond within a week, and others need more time to see a change in blood pressure. Some factors that influence response include medications, genetics, and age,” Pianko said.
Daaboul said this timeline can range from a few days to a week. He explained:
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“Early on, the lowering of the sodium will reduce the blood pressure by reducing the total body volume in the body. Eventually, the heart and the kidneys flush the sodium out of the body (mainly through the urine), resulting in the drop in blood pressure that we see early on. Then over time, within the first 1–2 weeks, the potassium effect kicks in, whereby potassium helps relax the blood vessels and maintain the progressive decline of the blood pressure until it stabilizes in a few weeks.”
“Note, however, that the blood pressure numbers should be monitored throughout, and if the final blood pressure numbers (despite the diet interventions) do not result in reaching the blood pressure goal over time, then it would be best to consult your doctor on combining the diet with other strategies to reduce blood pressure, such as adding an exercise regimen or prescription medications,” he added.
“The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, with an ideal goal of approximately 1,500 mg for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure,” said Pianko.
However, he stressed that the real problem with sodium consumption is not the salt added onto meals from salt shakers but the hidden salt in foods such as restaurant meals, canned or frozen foods, and packaged bread and snacks.
Experts also recommend following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and checking food labels for sodium and potassium content.
Hernandez said fruits, vegetables, and legumes were foods high in potassium that can support lowering blood pressure.
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Pianko said bananas are often the go-to choice for increasing potassium.
“But cantaloupe is also a fruit that is rich in potassium. There are other sources, including white beans, lentils, plain yogurt, salmon, baked potato with skin, spinach, and edamame — some of which are higher in potassium than the banana,” he said.
The American Heart Association currently recommends aiming for 3,500 to 5,000 mg of potassium daily to help manage blood pressure.
Hernandez listed some high-potassium foods to include in one’s diet:
The best way to support blood pressure and heart health is to focus on reducing sodium and actively increasing potassium through whole foods, the experts agreed.
On the topics of whole foods versus supplements, Pianko’s stance was clear:
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“I always recommend potassium-rich foods over supplements to my patients who need to responsibly increase their potassium. I use the term responsibly because it should be based on a cardiologist recommendation rather than on an Instagram post.”
Experts agree that people should consult a medical professional if they have health conditions or take medications that affect mineral balance.
Pianko said people should not approach increasing their potassium intake as a “one-size-fits-all prescription.”
“Individuals with chronic kidney disease or heart failure should only increase their potassium through dietary changes or pills after consulting with their cardiologist,” he said.
“Those with chronic hyperkalemia (high blood potassium levels) should not increase their dietary potassium without consulting a physician or dietitian,” Hernandez chimed in.
“Also, certain medications such as ACE inhibitors do not interact well with excess potassium because the excess can cause dangerous arrhythmias,” Pianko added.
