Replacing table salt with a potassium-fortified alternative could prevent nearly three million deaths a year worldwide, according to a new study highlighting a potentially inexpensive way to combat high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
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The study, led by researchers at the George Institute for Global Health in Australia, assessed the potential health benefits of switching to potassium-fortified salt in 193 countries. It estimates that a global transition could prevent 2.96 million deaths and 10.17 million new cases of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease each year.
“Consuming too much sodium and not enough potassium are well-established causes of high blood pressure – a major risk factor for life-threatening diseases like stroke, heart attack and kidney disease,” Bruce Neal, senior professor at the George Institute, said in a press release.
The alternative, which can be found in some stores and online, is to replace some of the sodium chloride found in conventional salt with potassium chloride. It looks, tastes, and cooks like regular table salt, but addresses two dietary factors associated with high blood pressure: excessive sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake.
“Switching to potassium-enriched salt solves both of these dietary problems at the same time, with substantial health benefits,” Neal said.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. According to the World Health Organization, about one in three adults aged 30 to 79 worldwide, or about 1.4 billion people, have hypertension.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, accounting for 19.2 million deaths in 2023.
Even a partial transition brings health gains
The researchers looked at several scenarios, including replacing salt used in home cooking, replacing salt used in processed foods and restaurants, and targeting people already diagnosed with or receiving treatment for high blood pressure.
Even a partial transition could generate substantial gains. Replacing household salt alone could prevent an estimated 1.85 million deaths and 6.19 million cases of cardiovascular and kidney diseases each year. Replacing salt used in processed foods and restaurants could prevent an additional 1.56 million deaths and 5.46 million cases. In Europe and North America, more than 70 percent of dietary salt intake comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, not salt added at home, according to Neal.
“To get the maximum benefits from switching to potassium-enriched salt, we need to see the food industry in Europe and North America… get involved,” Neal said.
The potential benefits are particularly great in countries with large populations and high rates of cardiovascular disease. A complete change could prevent about 1.08 million deaths a year in China, followed by India with almost 400,000.
In the UK, researchers estimate that replacing all conventional salt could prevent almost 13,000 deaths and around 60,000 cases of cardiovascular and kidney disease each year.
However, wider adoption is not without potential risks. People with advanced kidney disease, as well as those taking certain medications that increase potassium levels, may be vulnerable to hyperkalemia, an excessive concentration of potassium in the blood.
“The risks to this group can be effectively managed through patient education, product labeling and clinical monitoring,” said Vivek Jha, a nephrologist and senior professor at the George Institute in India.
The World Health Organization has approved the use of potassium-fortified salt in 2025 as a way to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
He acknowledged that a global transition would be ambitious, particularly because of the need to increase potassium chloride production to meet demand.
“While a global transition from regular salt to a potassium-enriched substitute is an ambitious goal, it is a starting point to get countries thinking about this opportunity – with much greater potential and at a much lower cost than many drug treatments,” he said.
Gn Health
