Potassium: Decrease Hypertension, Increase Longevity!

Although overeating is virtually inevitable these days due to an abundance of food and epic portion sizes, Americans fail to get enough of several key nutrients. Potassium is one of these nutrients.

A study published in Circulation tracked 40,000 men over the course of eight years and found that those who consumed the most potassium (4,300 mg/day versus 2,400 mg/day) were 38% less likely to suffer a stroke. Additionally, Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston says, "It’s absolutely clear that potassium can lower blood pressure."

* One in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure

* 22% of Americans with hypertension don’t even know that they have it

* Approximately three out of four people who suffer a heart attack, stroke, or congestive heart failure have high blood pressure

A healthy potassium-dense diet can revitalize arteries (conditions previously thought to be permanent with age can be reversed in a matter of weeks!) and significantly decrease an individual’s risk of heart attack or stroke. Interestingly, this risk depends primarily on a combined low-sodium, high-potassium diet rather than either one alone.

The bottom line: keep sodium intake minimal and increase consumption of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables to ensure healthy, flexible arteries and increase longevity!