JAKARTA - Daily salt intake must be well controlled, especially for people with hypertension or high blood pressure. The use of alternative salt is said to help control sodium intake, such as potassium chloride salt which is considered good for people with hypertension.
As is known, the high sodium which is a component of the salt in ordinary salt is one of the causes of hypertension. About a third of healthy people and 60 percent of people with hypertension have sensitivity to salt.
Thus, blood pressure can rise significantly when consuming excess salt, according to a report from Harvard Health Publishing. So, is potassium chloride salt safe for people with hypertension?
Potassium chloride salt or commonly called potassium salt is an alternative to regular table salt containing sodium chloride. In potassium salt, some or all of the sodium content is replaced by potassium.
This makes the taste and texture of potassium salt almost similar to ordinary salt, but with additional benefits for heart health.
Replacing sodium salt with potassium salt can lower blood pressure by about 5.6/2.9 mm Hg. This figure is important enough to keep the pressure normal, namely less than 120/80 mm Hg.
"Potassium and sodium balance each other for fluid balance, because sodium is the main extracellular ion and potassium is the main intracellular ion," said nutritionist Amy Brownstein, quoted from Eating Well, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Brownstein said that small changes in minerals can affect blood pressure. Sodium pulls fluid into the blood vessels and increases the excretion of sodium through the urine, which lowers blood pressure.
The use of potassium salt can be used as a substitute for some of the usual salt when cooking, such as sprinkling it on top of food or seasoning meat and vegetables.
However, the use of potassium chloride salt should also not be excessive. For groups of people with kidney disease, or are taking certain medications such as ACE inhibitors, and potassium-saving diuretics, it is best not to use potassium salt without consulting a doctor.
"The best alternative to salt may be no salt at all, but using herbs, spices, vinegar, and lemon and lime juices to add flavor to foods," Brownstein concluded.
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