By Karim Hammam
A healthier form of salt enriched with potassium could prevent nearly three million deaths and 10 million cases of cardiovascular and kidney disease globally each year, according to a new analysis by The George Institute for Global Health.
WHO Endorsement and Global Impact
The salt substitute looks and tastes like regular table salt but replaces some sodium with potassium, an essential mineral that lowers high blood pressure, helps the heart beat regularly, and reduces calcium loss from urination, lowering kidney stone risk. The World Health Organization endorsed the substitute last year.
High Blood Pressure Statistics
Cardiovascular disease is the world's leading cause of death, responsible for nearly 20 million deaths annually, while kidney disease accounts for 1.5 million deaths. One in three adults aged 30-79 has high blood pressure, totaling 1.4 billion people worldwide. In the United States, nearly half of adults live with hypertension, and sodium consumption far exceeds recommended levels.
Projected Health Benefits
The analysis projects that replacing all salt with the potassium-enriched version would prevent more than 104,000 deaths and nearly 500,000 cases of cardiovascular and kidney disease across 193 countries. Even if only people with high blood pressure switched, over a million cases could be avoided.
Expert Perspectives
Bruce Neal, a senior professorial fellow at the institute, said a global shift from regular salt to the substitute is aspirational but offers a starting point for countries to consider a low-cost intervention with greater potential than many drug-based treatments. However, the institute cautioned that high potassium levels can be dangerous for people with advanced kidney disease, whose damaged kidneys cannot filter potassium effectively, leading to hyperkalemia. Professor Vivek Jha, a nephrologist and senior fellow at the institute, said risks for this group can be managed through patient education, product labeling, and clinical oversight, and that benefits still outweigh risks.
