As we know, eating too salty can be bad for health. What we know a little less, however, is that salt kills in almost unimaginable proportions. Each year, around 1.9 million deaths worldwide are linked to excessive salt consumption.
As a rule, it is recommended not to exceed 2 g of sodium per day. However, global average consumption stagnates at … 4.3 g per day. Among the most harmful consequences of this excess sodium consumption, we find in particular blood pressure, which promotes the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and kidney disease.
If our dishes and our diet is excessively salt is a habit solidly rooted in our lifestyles, alternatives exist. The World Health Organization (WHO) has just published new guidelines by offering an alternative: a small sodium substitute.
The WHO starts from the principle that it is more difficult to remove the salt from our diet than to replace it with a less harmful product. This is why the organization advises to substitute part of sodium chloride with potassium chloride, an essential mineral for the proper functioning of the organism.
A stone, two strokes (but not for everyone)
Potassium, naturally present in large quantities in fresh fruits and vegetables, contributes to a balanced diet. However, while WHO recommends a daily contribution of 3.5 g of potassium, most populations consume it very little.
Using potassium salt therefore has a double advantage. On the one hand, this would reduce the amount of sodium consumed, thereby reducing the risk of high blood pressure. On the other hand, this would promote increased potassium intake, beneficial for cardiovascular health.
What about the taste? According to several surveys and studies, there would be no difference in significant taste between classic salt and potassium salt. The latter can be used in the same way as ordinary salt, both for seasoning and in culinary recipes.
If the generalization of the use of enriched potassium salt has certain advantages, it also raises some challenges. Potassium chloride is more expensive to produce than sodium chloride. This enriched salt is therefore more expensive, with a price that can be up to … 15 times higher! It can also be not recommended for certain people, especially those with kidney disease, which must limit their potassium intake.
