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Sodium or Potassium

Too much sodium in your diet can result in high blood pressure. The current recommended daily allowance for an adult is just 6g of salt, equivalent to 2.4g of sodium, to keep sodium levels down and help maintain a healthy high blood pressure.

Just as too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, too little potassium can also contribute. In fact, there's evidence to suggest that increasing your potassium intake can actually help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

With the average British diet containing just 80% of the recommended daily intake of potassium, any increase is likely to be beneficial for most people.

Getting the balance right

Sodium and potassium work together to control your blood pressure. Ideally, you need to moderate your sodium intake along with making an effort to eat more foods rich in potassium.

Foods that contain potassium include fruit and vegetables (including dried ones), potatoes, pulses, nuts and seeds, milk and yoghurt, fish, poultry and wholegrain cereals.

Top tips for health

Most people know processed foods often have large amounts of salt added, but few realise which foods are a good source of potassium.

Consult your doctor

Increasing your potassium intake won't - on its own - remove the need to reduce your salt intake. Too much potassium can also be harmful, which is why people receiving medication for diabetes, heart or kidney disorders should consult their doctor before using a reduced sodium salt.