Potassium and Blood Pressure: A Balancing Act
Excess dietary potassium raises blood pressure in male mice by an aldosterone-dependent increase in ENaC
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Potassium didn't lower blood pressure despite reducing NCC activity
Common belief is potassium lowers BP by reducing salt reabsorption, but here it's the opposite due to ENaC activation.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on a high-salt diet, moderate potassium may help, but avoid excessive supplements if salt intake is normal.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Potassium didn't lower blood pressure despite reducing NCC activity
Common belief is potassium lowers BP by reducing salt reabsorption, but here it's the opposite due to ENaC activation.
Practical Takeaways
If you're on a high-salt diet, moderate potassium may help, but avoid excessive supplements if salt intake is normal.
Publication
Journal
Communications Biology
Year
2025
Authors
A. Assmus, L. N. Odgaard, I. Garrelds, A. Danser, V. Matchkov, Paul A. Welling, Robert A. Fenton
Related Content
Claims (9)
Processed foods are typically low in potassium, which normally aids sodium excretion and vascular relaxation, exacerbating hypertension when combined with high sodium and refined carbs.
In mice eating normal salt, too much potassium (over 1.75% of their diet) makes their blood pressure go up during active hours, especially at high potassium levels like 5%, because of increased activity of certain kidney channels.
When mice eat a lot of salt, adding a moderate amount of potassium lowers their blood pressure by about 3.6 mmHg compared to eating the same high salt without extra potassium.
In mice, more potassium leads to more aldosterone in a straight-line way, but blood pressure rises sharply only when aldosterone hits a certain level (around 4040 pg/24h), then levels off.
When mice eat more potassium on normal salt, their kidney's salt-handling channels change: one type (NCC) slows down but another (ENaC) speeds up, especially when aldosterone hits about 2701 pg/24h.