Are Salt Substitutes & Potassium Salts Bad For You?

Too much sodium, found in table salt, can raise your blood pressure, cause fluid retention and increase your risk of developing heart disease. Switching to potassium chloride, the most common type of salt substitute can help prevent fluid retention and may helps decrease rather than raise your blood pressure, but for some people, potassium salt substitutes can pose additional health risks. Ask your doctor before switching to a potassium salt substitute.

Types

Table salt contains two minerals, sodium and chloride. Salt substitutes contain potassium and chloride. Potassium chloride has a similar taste to sodium chloride, although it has a bitter aftertaste, especially when heated that makes it a poor choice for cooking. Adding the amino acid L-lysine to potassium chloride salt substitutes reduces the bitter aftertaste. Low-sodium salt substitutes may contain a mixture of sodium and potassium.

Benefits

Most Americans consume far too much sodium, around 3,500 mg compared to the recommended intake of 2,400 mg or less, according to the University of Wisconsin. On the other hand, many Americans don't get enough potassium, a mineral that helps transmit electrical impulses in the heart and elsewhere. Switching to a potassium-based salt substitute can increase potassium intake and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Risks

People whose kidneys don't work optimally may not be able to excrete potassium well in the urine. High levels of potassium can build up in the bloodstream, a condition called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can cause life-threatening heart arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, nausea or slow weak or absent pulse. If you have diabetes, kidney or liver disease or take certain blood-pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors, potassium-sparing diuretics or angiotensin-receptor blocker should not use salt substitutes without their doctor's permission. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also increase the risk of retaining too much potassium.

Considerations

Under certain conditions, potassium salt substitutes can help prevent heart disease. But for some people, using potassium salt substitutes can have serious health consequences. If you have any doubt as to whether salt substitutes would benefit or harm you, talk with your doctor before trying them. The potassium content in salt substitutes may vary considerably; a tsp of Mrs. Dash, for example, contains 40 mg of potassium chloride compared to 2,730 mg in Morton Salt Substitute, the University of Wisconsin reports. Read labels carefully if you need to restrict potassium intake.