For decades, health experts have warned us to eat less salt. But their pleas fell on deaf ears as we continued to sprinkle the white crystals on everything from french fries to popcorn. I know my salt habit isn’t doing my body any favours. High blood pressure runs in my family, and I’ve seen firsthand the damage it can do. So when the WHO recommended switching to potassium salt, I was intrigued. Can I get the flavour I crave without the side of guilt?
La sal potásica es la alternativa más sana a la sal de mesa
La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) recomienda ahora cambiar la sal de mesa normal por sal enriquecida con potasio. Hacer este único cambio en tu cocina podría mejorar significativamente tu salud.
¿Por qué el exceso de sodio es malo para ti? El exceso de sodio eleva la tensión arterial, lo que aumenta el riesgo de cardiopatías, accidentes cerebrovasculares y problemas renales. La OMS calcula que 1,9 millones de muertes al año en todo el mundo se deben al consumo excesivo de sal.
While guidelines advise limiting sodium to 2 grams per day, the average person consumes over 4 grams. Reducing the population’s sodium intake has proven challenging since it requires people to accept a less salty taste and change how they prepare food.
Potassium salt is a substitute that replaces some sodium chloride with potassium chloride. Potassium is an essential mineral that most people don’t get enough of. The high potassium content is one of the main reasons fruits and vegetables are so healthy.
La sal potásica aporta dos beneficios para la salud:
Ambos ayudan a bajar la tensión arterial. Grandes ensayos realizados en todo el mundo demuestran que cambiar a la sal potásica reduce el riesgo de cardiopatías, accidentes cerebrovasculares y muerte prematura.
Reduce tu consumo de sodio y aumenta el potasio con un simple cambio
The beauty of potassium salt is that you can use it exactly like regular salt. It looks the same, seasons food the same, and works the same in recipes. Most people can’t even taste a difference. In the largest trial to date, over 90% of people still used potassium salt after 5 years.
Si se adopta ampliamente, el cambio a la sal potásica podría cambiar las reglas del juego de la salud pública. Los estudios proyectan que si poblaciones enteras hicieran el cambio, se evitarían cientos de miles de muertes anuales por cardiopatías y accidentes cerebrovasculares sólo en China e India.
Compared to regular salt, potassium salt is more expensive and not as widely available. You may need to look for it sold as “low-sodium salt,” “half salt,” or “lite salt.”
Another key challenge is that about 80% of the salt people eat comes from processed foods. The WHO guidelines don’t go far enough in prioritizing a switch in the salt used for food manufacturing.
Conclusión
As a society, we’ve become numb to the dangers of excess sodium. But now we know better. Too much dietary sodium is a ticking time bomb for our cardiovascular system. Replacing even a portion of your regular salt intake with potassium salt can dramatically cut your sodium consumption and boost your potassium levels in one fell swoop. Spread the word to your friends and family.
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