‘Eating potassium-rich food can maintain healthy blood pressure’: HumSub.TV
‘Eating potassium-rich food can maintain healthy blood pressure’: HumSub.TV: It review, Alicia McDonough, PhD, professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, sums up her findings:
“Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure, but evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension.”
Her review explored the links between potassium, sodium, and the sodium-potassium ratio, delving into a range of studies in the field and drawing conclusions about potassium’s benefits.
The investigation included interventional and population studies, as well as research into the molecular mechanisms involved.
McDonough found a number of population studies demonstrating that higher dietary potassium, as rated by urinary excretion or dietary recall, was generally associated with lower blood pressure, regardless of the level of sodium intake.
Other studies looking specifically at potassium supplements gave similar findings.
Beyond population studies, McDonough looked at sodium-potassium research in rodent models to help explain the potential mechanisms behind this interaction. It seems that the body uses sodium to keep a check on potassium blood levels.
Alicia McDonough said, “When dietary potassium is high, kidneys excrete more salt and water, which increases potassium excretion. Eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic.”
Her conclusion, in a nutshell, is that potassium is vital for keeping blood pressure within a normal range. Sodium is still a key player, but simply reducing salt intake alone may not be enough to control hypertension.
McDonough explained that raising potassium levels in the diet would require a conscious effort. “As humans evolved, they ate a great deal of fruits, vegetables, roots, beans, and grains, all of which provide an ample supply of potassium. However, sodium was less easy to come by and, therefore, we evolved to crave salt. At the same time, potassium levels in our diets have steadily dropped as we move away from fresh fruit and vegetables.”
The authors explained that “because our bodies evolved to deal with low sodium, high potassium diet”, consuming a surfeit of dietary potassium is a good strategy.
According to a 2004 Institute of Medicine report, adults are advised to consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium each day in order to lower blood pressure. This level of consumption, they say, will diminish the effects of salt and reduce kidney stones risk, as well as bone loss.
McDonough recommended that potassium content be added to food labels to help the public to make better-informed decisions about their potassium consumption.
Because the review takes into account a range of studies, the findings are compelling. Further research will, no doubt, draw a clearer picture of how sodium and potassium interact to keep blood pressure at healthy levels.
However, the findings of the paper make familiar conclusions, as the authors write: “Medical communities, [former] First Lady Michelle Obama, and common sense tell us to eat more fruits and vegetables and to get regular exercise to optimize our health.”
Separately, in a new study, researchers have uncovered new information about the causes of acne, which could change the way the condition is treated.
Study leader Dr Huiying Li, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), and colleagues suggested that acne might not be caused by the presence of a specific strain of bacteria.
In their study, the researchers uncovered evidence that the balance of bacteria on the skin may play a key role in acne development.
Dr Li and team recently presented their findings at the Microbiology Society’s 2017 annual conference, held in the United Kingdom.
For their study – which has also been published in the journal Scientific Reports – Dr Li and colleagues sought to learn more about the role of bacteria in acne development.
The team enrolled 72 adults to their study, of whom 38 had acne and 34 did not. Using over-the-counter pore cleansing strips, the researchers collected skin follicle samples from each participant.
Next, the team used a method known as DNA shotgun sequencing in order to determine the makeup of skin microbiota for each individual.
On comparing the skin microbiomes of individuals with and without acne, the researchers identified some differences in strains of P acnes.
They found that adults without acne possessed P. acnes abundant with genes that are associated with bacterial metabolism. Such genes are believed to be involved in halting the colonization of harmful bacteria in the skin.
However, adults with acne had higher levels of virulence-related genes in P acnes, the team reports. These included genes linked to the production of bacterial toxins that promote inflammation and poor skin health.
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