POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENT BENEFITS
According to the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial on 42 men and women with mildly elevated blood pressure, potassium supplements can be of benefit to the heart and bones. The participants received potassium chloride for 4 weeks, potassium bicarbonate for 4 weeks, or a placebo for 4 weeks in random order over a 12 week period. The results revealed that both types of potassium elevated urinary potassium and were associated with significant improvements in endothelial function and left ventricular diastolic function, as well as with decreased left ventricular mass compared to the placebo. While potassium chloride supplementation was associated with a small improvement in 24 hour and daytime systolic blood pressure and a reduction in 24-hour urinary albumin (which, when elevated, is a risk factor for the development and progression of renal and cardiovascular disease), potassium bicarbonate reduced 24-hour urinary calcium, calcium to creatinine ratio, and plasma C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen, which are markers of bone turnover. The authors conclude that increasing potassium intake could play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. The research was published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.