The industrial revolution brought more than a new economy to the globe.  Urban living changed diets from fruits and vegetables and grain-based starches to canned and processed foods, dramatically increasing the amount of salt (sodium chloride) we consume.  And with this change came an explosion of hypertension and its consequences of heart disease and stroke.

Our kidneys have been evolutionarily designed to conserve salt, as salt was not commonly available in the past.  Indeed, it was, at times, more valuable than gold.  As the amount of salt has increased in our diets, the sodium-potassium channels in the kidneys work harder and increase in number to handle the tenuous sodium balance.  A by-product of this increased excretion of sodium is that potassium is lost with it. 

The DASH diet (Dietary Advances to Stop Hypertension) has been shown repetitively in studies to lower blood pressure, even in persons with normal blood pressure levels.  Lower blood pressure levels reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.  The key elements of the diet are to limit sodium intake and increase fruit and vegetable intake.  Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium, mimicking the diet our kidneys are designed to handle.  There is some evidence that supplementation of potassium does not confer the benefit of increasing natural produce, probably because the potassium salts in fruits and vegetables are not the potassium chloride salts in the supplements.

Lowering sodium intake does not mean, however, that you must compromise your gustatory experience!  The addition of spices, onions, garlic, and oils can add robust flavors to the meals you prepare.  And it doesn’t take that much more time to prepare to add a few spices rather than use salt.  Use fresh spices as much as possible to keep the flavors strong and fresh.