BMJ Study on effects of potassium intake

The BBC News page has an article reporting on the BMJ - British Medical Journal - study on the effects of potassium intake, which reports that increasing potassium has a positive effect on blood pressure and found no adverse effects on kidney function. The recommended intake is what is always said here - 4G daily.
It is a large study and the BMJ article is very long and technical, but the BBC report is easier to absorb.
Gay

Gay, could you please post a link? I tried to search the BBC News site for the story and didn't have any luck. Thanks!

[www.bbc.co.uk]

Hope this is it. Not very good at this sort of thing.

Thank you Gay!

The researchers are rediscovering what Richard Moore, MD PhD published on in his book, The High Blood Pressure Solution [www.amazon.com]. Essentially if you get a 4:1 potassium to sodium ratio on intake, it signals the kidneys to excrete rather than conserve sodium. This reduces blood pressure and stroke risk. Moore also notes that higher levels of insulin signal the kidneys to conserve sodium. He misses the forest fore the trees and proposes a 70% carb diet which will, by its nature, encourage higher levels of insulin.

People who eat a very low carb diet (<50g/day) actually need to supplement with sodium because of this.

George

The scientific findings of Richard Moore's research have been known for a very long time and largely ignored or obscured from being promoted to the public as a preventive measure. Seems an injustice that a method for avoiding or curing hypertension should be a kept a secret all these years.

My opinion has always been that Moore's publisher added the dietary plan to make the book more salable ... as the recommendations are indirect conflict with what actually happens to use up extra potassium on a high-insulin producing diet such as the 70% carb which is highly detrimental. I recently heard a comment by popular health writer who said his publisher insisted and steered to include a focus that he preferred not to include...but went along with it because overall he wanted the book published... I'm sure that was the case with Moore. However, unlike the author I heard, Moore's book unfortunately faded into oblivion. How totally frustrating.

Thanks Gay!

Jackie

Gay,

Thank you for this link which once again points out the importance of an adequate potassium intake. It is well established that most people do not get enough potassium in their daily diet [www.afibbers.com]. Also that an adequate potassium is an effective way of reducing blood pressure. For more on this see my 2004 research report: The Importance of Potassium [www.afibbers.org]

Hans