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Replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched alternative could prevent almost three million deaths and 10 million new cases of cardiovascular and kidney disease worldwide every year, according to new research.
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health examined what would happen by replacing regular salt with potassium-enriched salt across 193 countries and found that even a partial switch could offer significant health benefits.
Bruce Neal, senior professorial fellow at The George Institute, said the change could prevent as many as one in 10 cardiovascular deaths in most countries.
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"Consuming too much sodium and not enough potassium are well established causes of high blood pressure - a major risk factor for life threatening conditions like strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease. Switching to potassium-enriched salt addresses both these dietary issues at the same time, with substantial health benefits,” he said in a statement released with the study.
Potassium-enriched salt is made by replacing some of the sodium chloride found in regular salt with potassium chloride. It looks, tastes and cooks the same as ordinary salt.
Dr. May Bakir, founder and triple board-certified cardiologist at InfiniteHeart Health, who was not involved in the study, told Newsweek that replacing some sodium with potassium works in two ways: "Less sodium means the body holds on to less fluid. More potassium, which is probably the bigger factor, helps the kidneys flush out sodium and relaxes blood pressure-raising signals."
She added that blood pressure typically begins to fall within a few weeks, and trials have measured meaningful reductions within one to three months.
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In 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed potassium-enriched salt as a way to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Around one in three adults aged 30 to 79 worldwide, approximately 1.4 billion people, have high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and disability globally.
The researchers examined several possible scenarios, including replacing all regular salt used in homes and processed foods, as well as more targeted approaches for people with diagnosed or treated high blood pressure.
The greatest benefits came from replacing both household salt and the salt used in processed and restaurant foods.
However, the researchers acknowledged that potassium-enriched salt may carry risks for people with advanced kidney disease.
Nephrologist professor Vivek Jha, senior professorial fellow at The George Institute in India, said precautions would be important for certain groups.
“People with serious kidney disease and those taking medications that significantly raise blood potassium levels need to take precautions. Risks for this group can be managed effectively through patient education, product labelling, and clinical oversight,” he said in a statement released with the study.
Bakir said people with moderate-to-advanced chronic kidney disease or those on dialysis should speak to their doctor before switching. She also cautioned people taking potassium supplements or medications that can raise potassium levels.
The researchers also stressed the importance of adapting strategies to different countries.
Neal said: “To realise the maximum benefits from switching to potassium-enriched salt, we need to see the food industry in Europe and North America – where over 70 percent of salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods – get on board. This would also require investigating ways to scale up the production of potassium chloride to meet demand."
Neal told Newsweek that widespread adoption is unlikely to happen overnight, but it's far more plausible than the current strategy which relies on trying to get people to cut the amount of salt they eat, which he said, neither individuals nor food companies will do because it results in a less salty taste.
“The greatest barrier at present is awareness – clinicians don’t know to recommend it, and people don’t know to use it,” he said.
Another main obstacle, according to Neal, is cost. He explained that while potassium-enriched salt is a low-cost commodity, it remains more expensive than regular salt, which could discourage food manufacturers from making the switch.
"We need innovation and scaling in production to get the price of potassium-enriched salt down to that of the cheapest regular salt for widespread industry adoption. Or governments to mandate use by corporations, as many have for iodised salt," he said.
Reference:
Neal et al. Global health outcomes from replacing dietary sodium chloride with potassium-enriched salt. Nature Health
DOI: 10.1038/s44360-026-00216-9
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman, Gray R. Thomas
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