Swap Your Salt, Save Your Heart: How Salt Substitutes Reduce Heart Attacks and Death
- Vlad Salamakha
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
We all know too much salt is bad for us—but what if a simple swap could actually save lives?
A major international study titled "Salt substitution reduces the rate of cardiovascular events and death" has made waves in the world of public health. The researchers found that replacing regular table salt with a low-sodium, potassium-enriched salt substitute led to significantly fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths.
Let’s break down what this means—and how this simple switch could benefit your heart and overall health.
🧂 The Problem With Regular Salt
Most people eat far more sodium than they need—mainly from processed foods and added salt. High sodium intake is a known driver of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and early death.
At the same time, many diets are low in potassium, a mineral that helps counteract sodium’s effects and supports heart health.
This imbalance—too much sodium, not enough potassium—is a major public health issue globally.
🔬 What the Study Found
In this large, randomized clinical trial (often referred to as the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study or SSaSS), researchers studied over 20,000 people in rural China who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Participants were randomly assigned to use:
Regular salt (100% sodium chloride)
Salt substitute (a blend of ~75% sodium chloride and ~25% potassium chloride)
They were followed for nearly five years.
Results:
14% lower risk of stroke
13% lower risk of heart events (heart attacks, strokes combined)
12% lower risk of death from any cause
And the best part? There were no serious side effects from the increased potassium in the salt substitute—even in a population with high rates of chronic kidney disease.
✅ Why This Matters
These results suggest a small, inexpensive change—just switching your salt—can lead to a major reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and death. That’s a big deal.
Even better: this intervention doesn’t rely on willpower, strict diets, or expensive medications. It’s a passive, effortless way to protect your health every time you season your food.
💡 What Is a Salt Substitute?
Salt substitutes typically contain:
75% sodium chloride (regular salt)
25% potassium chloride
The potassium helps lower blood pressure and offset the harmful effects of sodium. These products are widely available in grocery stores or online under brands like
LoSalt, Nu-Salt, or Morton Lite Salt.
Important: If you have kidney disease or are on certain medications (like potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitors), talk to your doctor before switching—too much potassium can be dangerous in those cases.
🌍 A Public Health Game-Changer?
This study has enormous implications, especially in countries where salt intake is high and heart disease is the leading cause of death. Health experts believe that widespread adoption of salt substitutes could prevent millions of premature deaths globally.
In fact, a modeling study from the same team estimated that if salt substitutes were adopted nationwide in China, it could prevent hundreds of thousands of strokes and over 400,000 deaths per year.
🔄 Simple Swap, Big Impact
If you want to improve your heart health without giving up flavor, switching to a salt substitute might be one of the easiest, most impactful things you can do.
It’s not about cutting all salt—just using a better kind.
Takeaway:
Replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched substitute is a powerful, science-backed way to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and potentially live longer.
Comments