A new mathematical model demonstrates that the ratio between potassium and sodium intake is critical to regulating arterial tension.
A study by the University of Waterloo suggests that increasing the ratio between the ingestion of potassium and sodium In the diet can be more effective in lowering blood pressure than simply reducing sodium intake.
High blood pressure affects more than 30% of adults worldwide. It is the main cause of heart disease Coronary and stroke and may also lead to other disorders such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat and dementia.
“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to ingest less salt,” he said Anita Laytonresearcher at the University of Waterloo and corresponding author recently published in American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology.
“Our investigation suggests that Add more potassium rich foods to your diet, as bananas or broccolimay have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just to reduce sodium, ”adds the researcher, quoted by.
O potassium and sodium are both electrolytes – Substances that help the body send electrical signals to contract muscles, affect the amount of water in the body and perform other essential functions.
“The first human beings ate many fruits and vegetables And, as a result, our body regulatory systems may have evolved to work better with a rich potassium and poor sodium diet, ”he said Melissa cityDoctoral student of Applied Mathematics of Waterloo and first author of the study.
“Currently, Western diets tend to be much richer in sodium and less rich in potassium. This can explain the fact that hypertension is found especially in industrialized societies and not in isolated societies, ”says Stadt.
Although previous studies had already completed that increasing potassium intake can help control blood pressure, researchers developed a mathematical model which successfully identifies the impact of the relationship between potassium and sodium on the body.
The model also identifies as sex differences affect the relationship between potassium and blood pressure: the study concluded that men develop high blood pressure more easily than women in premenopausal, but also have more likely to respond positively an increase in potassium ratio in relation to sodium.
Researchers stress that mathematical models such as that used in this study allow this type of experiences to identify the impact of different factors on the body quickly, cheaply and ethically.
