Podcast: Salt vs. Potassium

Too much salt in your diet? Not enough potassium? Welcome to the 99.99 percent club. This episode features audio from:
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[@DanBaumann3]

What an outstanding person. Thank you Dr. Greger

[@elephantintheroom5678]

This podcast made me switch over to Heart Salt, which is about 2/3 potassium to 1/3 sodium. Dr. Fuhrman also influenced this change by telling how it is the cumulative lifetime effects of excess sodium intake that damages one's blood vessels and leads to stroke risk, and that simply changing in old age is not going to have the protective effect as eating less sodium over one's lifetime. My son had a salt tooth, so I'm glad we made the switch for his sake, too.

[@tammyt4959]

As always, THANK YOU for all you do Dr Greger!!! This man has literally dedicated his life to helping others and saving lives through simple lifestyle changes. 😊

[@louiseschuler6163]

I always love hearing dr Greger’s new information!!

[@danielwhite4996]

it's very soothing

[@Nicksonian]

My grocery store has rows of sodium salt options from the standard iodized to the exclusive Himalayan pink. Way down, at the far left of the bottom row is but one lonely salt substitute-Morton’s potassium chloride. I’m making the switch. As an exerciser and prodigious perspirer, I have to worry about replacing electrolytes. It’s hard to know how much sodium I need so if I’m soaked after a run, I do have a bit of sodium, but it’s always balanced with more potassium.

[@larryc1616]

I use Morton's lo-salt which in 50/50 potassium/ sodium. You need both minerals not too much or too little.

[@Nicksonian]

@@larryc1616 I’ve not seen the blend. When you have both all sodium and all potassium, you can blend as needed. If I haven’t sweated a lot one day, I’ll use primarily potassium, but if I have, I might use two to one potassium to sodium. I habituated myself away from sodium years ago so some restaurant food tastes way too salty to me.

[@maddeusdoggeus1]

@@Nicksonianhave you notice a difference once you switched to potassium? Lower BP? Thx.

[@Nicksonian]

@@maddeusdoggeus1 Sorry, I haven’t studiously tracked my BP. My last doctor’s visit my BP was 120/70 which is good for my age. My serum potassium was also spot on target. Many people don’t get enough potassium so perhaps that’s the best indicator that it’s helping. Of course I eat potassium rich fruits and veggies too.

[@myrhev]

Buy both. I do. What I do is use the amount of salt I am allowed a day and make up any other needs with potassium chloride. If you try to use just potassium, it has a nasty aftertaste.

[@AndrewPawley11]

Excellent!

[@teriwellborn165]

Thank You

[@ignaciovela4618]

recommendations where to buy potassium chloride and how much did it cost

[@LeChat084]

Thanks!

[@summer78946]

Thank you!

[@michaelashley2855]

You’re welcome

[@seitanbeatsyourmeat666]

Eating a WFPB vegan diet means I don’t get enough salt naturally so I don’t really regulate how much I sprinkle on Brussel sprouts, but I still don’t over salt anything. I’ve recently switched to a potassium salt (at my husband’s doctors suggestion. Neither of us have high BP, but his doc feels prevention is better than a cure and he’s not wrong) and it’s great. I can’t tell the difference, actually

[@StrosB4Hos]

I agree with this, especially since I’ve been preparing my own beans in the instant pot I’m not even getting the sodium that’s usually added to canned beans. So I make up for it in spices and hot sauces.

[@dimitrisskar4174]

dont get a sodium deficiency or iodine either, careful

[@11235Aodh]

I often use lavas leaf instead of salt aswell, it's known over here aswell as the maggieplant.

[@traycecarr9237]

Hi, In my bloodwork my sodium is always low, and I have low bp...so they say I can salt my veggies..what do you say is best?

[@michaelkane7021]

"White potatoes are one of the best food sources of potassium available. A large baked potato ( 299 grams) provides 1,600 mg"

[@user-dd9eo2wz3h]

Try cooked spinach (30g) 839 mg for a cup you can eat that in 10 seconds along with Magnesium

[@michaelashley2855]

Try a supplemental potassium pill

[@robertkattner1997]

You don't need to eat any potatoes. North American Indians never ate potatoes. They for thousands of years.

[@michaelkane7021]

Lots of things you don't need to eat, but if there is one perfect food to survive on it's the potato @@robertkattner1997

[@thirdreplicator]

Just got some NuSalt! It's great! I'm in the 0.1% club!

[@1000left]

This is fantastic!!! I believe that people taking ACE inhibitors (A blood pressure medication) have a risk of retaining too much potassium in the blood when it is not from whole food sources. This is ironic as the people that could benefit the most from more potassium are those with hypertension!!?? Can you check me on this?

[@olabanas7658]

The amount is different. Potassium that's retained may be in excess and that causes the heart to slow down substantially- bradycardia- and eventually it may stop resulting in death. Potassium in diet is in smaller quantities. It may still cause the heart to slow down- which may be beneficial in lowering blood pressure (but not too much!)- heart that slows down pumps out less blood into vessels what results in lower blood pressure

[@mmezias]

What about green salt derived from seaweed?

[@StrosB4Hos]

I’ve tried using potassium salt “NoSalt” can’t say it actually tastes like anything. I used it in my sauces I make out of Chickpeas, raw cashews, mix of veggies. And I’m kinda like is it even doing anything?

[@AlwaysCreateOptions]

Genuine question: As a 31 year old male, who had very little salt in my diet. When I started adding Himalayan pink salt to my morning glass of water (a pinch) and later in the day the same thing I’ve felt 10 times better. Also in summer I’m dropping sweat, quite literally and the sweat tastes like salt so I’m losing salt? And adding salt makes me feel better? Seriously. Adding salt to water and also to my meals (whole food meals) have made me feel significantly better. I’ve been dealing with fatigue for a very long time and salt has been helping tremendously.

[@mintymilkk]

Yeah, you're probably on the other end of the spectrum where you're churning through enough to need to add more in. Idk why this isn't talked about, but obviously if you exercise, sweat, and lose sodium, your baseline sodium intake will need to be higher - and if you don't add back in that sodium you'll just end up lightheaded. It does kinda annoy me that this is never addressed in anti-sodium videos. I feel way better adding sodium to my WFPB meals than not

[@tonynes3577]

I love the Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, plant based foods, but too bad they are too processed and too salty! Have to eat more fruits and vegetables. Question: does a higher increase of potassium counteract the body's intake of sodium? (They are both + ions).

[@wanashthegash]

I read you can sweat out excess of salt as well, if you want to eat a Beyond meat burger of Impossible burger once in a while, go for it, its not like it really matters in the long run if the majority of stuff you eat are healthy.

[@tatsumakisempyukaku]

I go to the sauna at my gym about 3-4 times a week. How much salt do you suppose we lose through sweat, if any?

[@samiryan214]

Is Potassium Chloride the same Potassium in veggies and fruits and how much Potassium Chloride is safe daily?

[@dianeladico1769]

The potassium in potassium chloride is the same as in fruits and veg. Don't worry about the chloride part. You can get the recommended amount from the video, I don't recall the amount off hand. Potassium from salt substitute counts the same as potassium from fruit and veg so you can just add them up to get your total but if you don't have a medical condition the amount you can take in safely is pretty high.

[@fullgreenkitchen]

Do kelp granules have similar benefits when compared to potassium chloride?

[@fullgreenkitchen]

Or better yet a potassium chloride/kelp granules 50/50 blend!

[@Miriam_N.]

Dr. Greger doesn't recommend to consume kelp on regular basis as it contains too much iodine.

[@l.w.4701]

I’ve used potassium chloride salt… it isn’t very palatable. But - mixing the two? Hm🤔 worth trying

[@jeremyvolland8508]

I tried it plain and mixed with sodium salt. I can tell you there is a big difference. At 50/50, I can't notice much of a difference, but by it's self potassium salt is disgusting.

[@mcsmoothie7052]

A few years ago I had a cardiogram done that came back with an irregularity, that after I googled what it was, I saw that it was due most likely to high potassium levels. Is that a thing? I was eating a lot of bananas and potatoes at the time.

[@aclassmedicine3306]

Basically a little is good. More is not better. Vegetables have a high potassium to sodium ratio. Which is highly beneficial. Processed foods largely the opposite. Check your food labels when consuming packaged foods. Yes, potassium in excess (supplements usually or overdoing it with table pepper / bananas) can cause an imbalance.

[@james4582]

Yes it is a thing Bananas and potatoes are among the highest in potassium levels. If your kidneys don’t function properly it causes hyperkalemia (to much potassium in the blood) And can lead to Atrial Fibrillation of the heart and other serious problems. Learn to read labels and understand the meanings. Have your doctor check all your stats and numbers to determine your needs that’s important. Just because a food lable says “natural, healthy, organic or other claims” doesn’t necessarily mean it is for you. Go onto google and look for high or low potassium food levels even for fruits and vegetables that have no labels it can be eye opening.

[@TammiT69]

Informative as always but what I need is information on too much potassium! I'm plant based and my potassium levels remain higher than normal.

[@sorel7342]

He did talk about that around 12.50 I think! (Basically sounds like you’re fine they’ve found no adverse effects of too much in longitudinal studies and he said your kidneys will filter out too much)

[@TammiT69]

@@sorel7342 Actually, I am having deeper issues and have to see a specialist but, thanks for the reply.

[@james4582]

@Sor El Not so if your kidneys aren’t functioning properly and can’t flush out excess potassium then hyperkalemia causes many other problems and even then many foods become off limits

[@james4582]

@Tee Jay Even many healthy foods on a plant based diet are high in potassium and need to be avoided or regulated. I’m hyperkalemia and can say it’s hard but manageable you just have to give up a lot. There are charts that give basic levels of potassium of foods. Many on google and it might seem difficult it is doable. In my case it was life preserving.

[@andreawisner7358]

It would be nice if he included caveats, like a certain small subset of people may need more sodium. He may think we minorities are not important enough to mention, but when we're actually plant-based and listening to his videos, his failure to mention us is upsetting and may cause more people to doubt his word. (This is not the only subject he has discussed where I am an exception to the rule.)

[@KimNelsonjoyness]

How careful should you be with potassium after donating a kidney?

[@tedhuntington7692]

So it's not clear- Does Dr Greger recommend adding KCl to a WFPB diet presuming we do not have any or the conditions that would be problematic, or KCl not really needed for a WFPB diet?

[@tedhuntington7692]

@7:25 "...whole healthy plant foods would be the best way to increase Potassium intake"- so I think that pretty much means- no need to add KCl if eating primarily a WFPB diet

[@tedhuntington7692]

but no harm and no foul ifn you do

[@petervanderwaart1138]

My grandfather was advised to switch to potassium chloride back in 1960.

[@michaelashley2855]

Whoa - how old is he now ?

[@ginodumitru2529]

What's the recommended daily potassium

[@samiryan214]

I bought a potassium chloride supplement, it says to not exceed 2.1 per day, I dunno about that if true or not

[@Nicksonian]

Ever hear of Google?

[@samiryan214]

@@Nicksonian No that's why we're looking for real people experiences

[@Nicksonian]

@@samiryan214 And what does that even mean? The question was, what’s the recommended daily intake of potassium. Not only does Dr. Greger cite it in this video, the RDA is not a “real person experience,” it is a number that anyone can look up.

[@epifanioesmero536]

High salt and high Potassium is just the right dose.

[@sandybayes]

We need to stop these money grabbing junk food producers by refusing to purchase their profit generating junk products.

[@cathy37]

I guess I'm the exception to this. I'm under doctors orders to eat more salt. I have high potassium and low sodium.

[@Riekie1970]

Cathy...Why did your Dr orders you to eat more salt???

[@jeremyvolland8508]

Cathy just said she was low on sodium, hence needs to eat more salt. Not that common, but it happens.

[@Thunderwake.]

What if I used potassium iodide?

[@Nicksonian]

Interesting question. The sodium free salt substitute I buy isn’t fortified with iodine which I just learned by looking at the package of Morton Salt is in the form of potassium iodide.

[@eng.miroslavmanahilov1730]

So potassium salt is a no-no?

[@perfumediscoverychannel756]

So you could say if you don't reach 5000mg of potassium per day you could use potassium chloride without problems?

[@aclassmedicine3306]

Black table pepper needs to get back onto the table, especially if 🧂 salt is added to the food. The amount of potassium in pepper is huge compared to bananas. Sprinkle to taste. Hate the flavor (hide it with other condiments)👍

[@MichaelGGarry]

@@aclassmedicine3306 black pepper has never left my table! I wasn't even aware of it's high potassium, it just tastes better to me....

[@sooooooooDark]

yea i found the same best salt is 0 added salt

[@nomad1517]

So my question is. Why does sodium help people from fainting? Is their a misconception here? How can people prevent fainting in heat or on medication without salt? Or is it necessary for some people? I'm so confused.

[@jeremyvolland8508]

Salt is needed for several body functions, the problem is when you get too much, and most people get too much. Even so, there are times when we need a little extra, like when we've been doing a lot of sweating.

[@americron912]

Magnesium?

[@michaelashley2855]

Yes !

[@sciencelad8286]

Boils down to “people don’t need to eat corpses, carcasses and cadavers”. Look around you, in your family, circle of friends, coworkers, on the streets. They look like walking hamburgers, not from eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes….yup, indeed, you are what you eat.

[@rashie]

👍👍

[@huhwhatomg]

WHAT IF I SWEAT ALL DAY?? someone plz tell me what i should be doing. i did one week and on the 7th day had a huge amount of head pressure and called 911. so i figure i need to add salt

[@softenbysam]

The only reason I use salt is for the iodine unfortunately

[@yoshiew05]

Try sea vegetables

[@RichS.73yroldbodybuilder]

Why not just take an iodine supplement?

[@mqb3gofjzkko7nzx38]

You can buy potassium iodide.

[@ukidding]

I don't use salt for anything and get along just find.

[@elimcjones7722]

Potassium is not always listed on food labels, so how can you know if your getting enough?

[@dianeladico1769]

Chances are if your food has a label it's higher in sodium and lower in potassium. Here is a link www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Nutrition/PotassiumHandout.pdf This lists potassium content of a fair number of whole foods. The header indicates this is for people who need to limit their intake due to a medical condition so ignore that part if that doesn't apply to you (and if it does, get medical advice). That being said, it's a good resource for seeing how much potassium you can get from whole foods.

[@elimcjones7722]

@@dianeladico1769 Thanks for the reply, the root of my question is how can we know people aren't meeting the RDA of potassium, if those same people don't know themselves? It's frustrating that it's not on the label every time.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@elimcjones7722 Good point. Perhaps the researchers have people keep track for a period of time and hunt down the info from manufacturers. A lot of info is available if you ask.

[@coleknippen5065]

Dr. Greger vs the world

[@Bigislandchef]

No doubt that “crappy food” is leading to I’ll health. But when we look at Japan post WWII while their sodium intake dropped as they adopted more western diets their stroke incidence fell while their heart attack levels increased… I’m not sure I’ll call miso, salted veg, seaweed, soy sauce, ect… just straight up “crappy food” from a processed food stand point

[@greencable2222]

what if potassium gives me migraines? a banana, two dates, avocado, more than one portion of most fruits, etc..

[@dianeladico1769]

Are you sure it's potassium? A real quick search gave the possibility of tyramine as a trigger. It's high in bananas, avocado and dried/overripe fruits. I have no knowledge or experience in this area, this is just what I found online. There are many other foods that have it as well. Hope this helps.

[@KrisWiltseArt]

Ripe bananas give me migraines. Green don't. Love their tart sweet taste.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@KrisWiltseArt Yeah, the site mentioned ripe fruit is more of a trigger.

[@ericbrandon8699]

Why is it against the law to sale potassium pills that are above 2% ?

[@Nicksonian]

The NIH says it’s because high potassium intake can be “associated with small-bowel lesions.” But considering we’re all not getting enough potassium, it seems potassium deficiency is a far greater problem than a possible “association” with those lesions. An excess of caution, I’d say. Forget potassium supplements. Morton’s salt substitute has 690mg or 15% of your daily potassium requirement in one quarter-teaspoon serving.

[@ericbrandon8699]

G.L. thanks

[@dianeladico1769]

Suicide. Potassium chloride is used for lethal injection and the oral route can be dangerous or fatal if you take in a large amount at once. I think he mentioned that in the video.

[@Nicksonian]

@@dianeladico1769 The NIH doesn’t mention suicide. If that were your goal, all you gotta do is take a whole bunch of supplement tablets. It’s not like they only sell one tablet at a time. My container of salt substitute has enough potassium to meet 100 percent of your daily requirement for ten days…

[@dianeladico1769]

@@Nicksonian True. I wasn't referencing NIH. Nothing will prevent a determined person from taking a boatload of anything. Preventing an accidental overdose or at least slowing someone down may be a goal. That was my first thought when I read the question.

[@andreawisner7358]

Where is the caveat that certain people are prescribed salt to deal with hypotension?

[@h35d85bs0]

Potatoes save lives

[@tiitulitii]

How about sugar vs fat?

[@michaelashley2855]

Fat usually wins

[@txtardis7887]

Bad title, they are both Salts. Metal + Chloride = "Salt"

[@jamesdrake9000]

POTTASIUM CHLORIDE REMOVES SODIUM. SODIUM IS NEEDED FOR BLOOD PRESSURE AND WITHOUT IT YOU LOSE BLOOD VOLUME. HENCE THE DROP IN BLOOD PRESSURE. ;)

[@augustusomega4708]

Potassium is in everything, its a natural preservative they not only put it in everything, its naturally in everything, fruit, veg, meat, everything! That this doctor makes a claim like this that everyone doesnt get enough potassium makes me question everything else he says, has any body checked that he has an actual Doctors license? or is he like that Dr Oz, entertainment doctor?

[@camronRD]

Yeah but Chinese people consume around 5-1000 mg and they are much more healthy than us?

[@happycook6737]

I lived in China. Cancer, obesity, stroke, and heart attacks are common. This is because most Chinese living in cities eat highly processed, high oil, high meat foods. Fast foods are prevalent like KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut, Domino's, etc. Within 3 blocks of my apartment were 35 fast food outlets. Only rural poor eat primarily vegetables, noodles and rice. In fact I was shocked as a fat woman that there were Chinese just as fat as me! Youth prefer heavily sugared tea bottled drinks that have much more sugar than colas. Soda is also all around.

[@paulawhite3547]

Dear Dr. Greger, didn't your gandmother teach you that God made us instead of just evolving into being? The evidence of the creation of the different strata such as the grand canyon displays was evident after the Mt. St Helens erruption. The whole science of nutrition and the bery complexity and beautiful synergy of our bodies to me display the wisdom of a very wise Creator.

[@SuperOptiman]

Talk to your technical people. Your audio was breaking up when using my Chromecast on myTV. We had to stop listening, it was too annoying. Also the background music obscured your voice at the beginning of video.

[@saliksayyar9793]

Where is the evidence for modern humans prior to 250,000 years

[@jimatsydney]

I was a bit confused at first, you seem to be getting salt (NaCl) and sodium (Na) mixed up. Salt is a compound of two very important electrolytes for the body. Sodium, where too much causes problems but too little is DEADLY, and chloride. Without chloride (3000mg RDI) we cannot produce enough stomach acid for proper digestion. I know of runners in endurance events who follow a low NaCl diet (following salt scare messages) needing to be hospitalised because of not enough Na in their system. Please don’t point out Na as bad and unnecessary. Please be balanced. Also are you aware that South Korea has the lowest rate per capita of death by heart disease of any country but consumes twice the recommended intake of NaCl. NaCl does not cause heart disease, but it is the imbalance of K and Na that causes high BP. I understand that substituting NaCl with KCl is a good move but please paint the whole picture of sodium.

[@vizzwizz]

And number three in stomach cancer

[@jimatsydney]

@@vizzwizz So …… what’s your point?

[@edwhite2255]

I believe his point is that elevated sodium chloride is linked to high BP and Americans consume way too much sodium chloride and not enough potassium. Salt substitutes containing potassium instead of sodium are a good way to improve this ratio. I do t fully understand your comments.

[@Burnsy12]

"Please be balanced." He has at least 3 other videos explaining that sodium is required and can be found naturally occurring on foods. If you have a balanced diet, you should have enough sodium... Also, South Korea has one of the highest rates of stomach cancer in the world, beaten only by Japan where they consume four times the recommended intake of NaCl. So by the same logic you used, NaCl does not causes heart disease. It causes stomach cancer.

[@paulawhite3547]

very not bery

[@misterx3188]

I can go vegan, but I can't go without salt. What can I do?

[@sorel7342]

Hm maybe try a mix of potassium and sodium salt? Least that will reduce your sodium chloride and probably taste similar. Sounds like that was well worth doing in the studies they mentioned

[@Firebuck]

@@sorel7342 I did that, and gradually transitioned to mostly potassium chloride. My tastebuds adjusted to the slight taste difference in just a few days.

[@DoctorRevers]

Stop wearing leather shoes and eat a bit less salt?

[@misterx3188]

@@DoctorRevers What do lether shoes have to do with that?

[@misterx3188]

@@sorel7342 I tried it, but I can't go higher with potassium chloride than 20-30% which means up to 80% is still sodium. When I try more potassium chloride, it tastes awful.

[@jixoye1158]

Great info but could really do without blaspheming Jesus’ name and pushing evolution theories that were proven wrong long ago.

[@dougjones2065]

Listening to you speak is truly annoying, thanks for the valuable info though

[@onekerri1]

This is a bunch of bs.

[@jamiem3115]

1st and foremost Michael Gregor is not a qualified practicing medical professional. 2nd and most importantly this poor excuse of a man is completely misinforming all who choose to listen. I, and millions like me have stopped eating plants and since quitting them our health has improved immeasurably. Our digestive tract is evolutionary designed to eat meat. We are at our very core hyper-carnivore animals. Plant eating animals have completely different digestive systems to our own. I implore anyone who chooses to read this post, please do some reasearch but most importantly stop listening to this charlatan.

[@walterhayley7252]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but after reading your comment, I did a little research: Dr Greger (seems you spelled his name incorrectly) has a medical practice in Rockville, MD and a medical degree from Tufts University. He also attended Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences...

[@Nicksonian]

Dr. Greger is a medical doctor. How is he not qualified? Do you think he just makes up the dozens of trials and studies he cites in every video? How are chiropractors like “Drs.” Berg and Ekberg qualified? You are absolutely wrong about human evolution. Recent examinations of ancient remains shows that early humans consumed a starch-rich diet. Pre-humans and early humans were opportunists and in order to survive had to eat all that was available including tubers, berries, nuts, fish, and meat if they could catch it. If we are hyper carnivores then why do we have such puny canine teeth? Besides, in order to thrive and evolve, the primary requirement is reproduction. In order to satisfy evolution early humans only needed to make it to 30 at most, bearing children in their teens and parenting for a decade more. So even if they had a high meat diet, if they died long before they developed cardiovascular disease or cancer (which comes from a high-meat diet) the species still went on. I am neither vegan or vegetarian; I eat a Mediterranean diet. But Dr. Greger offers some of the best nutrition and health info available on KZbin and your caustic, inappropriate, unreasoned attack just shows your carnivore diet has made you a very angry person.

[@larryc1616]

Ooh no, humans are not carnivores like dogs and cats, but are plant based omnivores like the rest of our primate cousins. Carnivore diet in humans means constipation, cancer and atherosclerotic heart disease....

[@AAB463]

And what are your credentials Jamie?

[@orirune3079]

Gosh I was going to listen to him but then I saw this random KZbin comment. I've thrown away all my vegetables and will now eat nothing but meat I hunt with my bare hands! Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.