Does Potassium Chloride (Nu-Salt, etc) cause high blood pressure, low blood pressure, or neither?

Question

The contradictory information I've found is confusing, I've always thought Potassium was an important mineral up to a few grams a day, even if added to the diet via salt substitutes.

"Before trying salt substitutes, you should check with your doctor, especially if you have
high blood pressure. These contain potassium chloride and may be harmful for those
with certain medical conditions." - www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_low/hbp_low.pdf

Answer 1

it depends
while potassium chloride has been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, too much potassium can be harmful if you have kidney problems or you're taking certain medications to treat high blood pressure or heart failure. Potassium-sparing diuretic drugs causes your kidneys to retain potassium. If you take a potassium-sparing diuretic and use a salt substitute containing potassium, too much potassium can build up in your body. Possible side effects include potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances.

A high potassium, low sodium diet actually protects against cardiovascular diseases and cancer, while the reverse, a low potassium, high sodium diet actually can induce these diseases. Most Americans ingest twice as much sodium as potassium, a ratio of 2:1. However, the body actually requires a ration of 1:5, meaning that one should ingest at least five times more potassium than sodium. Potassium supplements would not be necessary if individuals would simply ingest more fruits and vegetables. That is because most fruits and vegetables have a ratio of at least 50:1, fifty times more potassium than sodium. With just the addition of a few fruits and vegetables, individuals could reap significant health benefits.


Potassium is available as potassium salts (chloride and bicarbonate), potassium bound to various mineral chelates (aspartate, citrate, etc.) or food-based potassium sources. There are problems with higher doses of potassium salts, so it is best to stick to food sources, or food-based supplements. There are some popular salt substitutes, NoSalt and Nu-Salt, which are potassium chloride and provide 530 milligrams of potassium per 1/8 teaspoon. When potassium salts are given in large dosages, this can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and ulcers. However, taking it from food sources alone does not cause this effect.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

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RE:
Does Potassium Chloride (Nu-Salt, etc) cause high blood pressure, low blood pressure, or neither?
The contradictory information I've found is confusing, I've always thought Potassium was an important mineral up to a few grams a day, even if added to the diet via salt substitutes.

Answer 5

Nu Salt

Answer 6

there are studies that suggest that KCl lowers blood pressure when used in place of NaCl. Tastes a bit different than standard table salt, but is better than nothing...

Answer 7

If you are not using a lot, go for the real thing instead of the alternative. Or better yet don't use anything at all. Nu-Salt does not taste good.