Potassium May Lower Blood Pressure

SportsGeezer readers are no doubt mindful of potassium's potential to preserve muscle mass, but now comes a story in the L.A Times suggesting that potassium can also help lower blood pressure. The paper reports on a 2001 study
based on data from more than 17,000 U.S. adults, that found
that people who ate 8.5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables (about
4,100 milligrams of potassium) had lower blood pressures than people
who ate 3.5 servings (1,700 milligrams) — by an average of 7.2 mm Hg
systolic and 2.8 mm Hg diastolic units. The L.A. Times reports that an Institute of Medicine panel recently recommended
that adults should have at least 4.7 grams of potassium daily unless
they have medical conditions that preclude it. This is about twice as
much as most American adults get. Studies suggest that the ratio
between potassium and sodium may be more important than the absolute
levels of either — 2-to-1 is the target.

Read more in the L.A. Times.