Do "lite" salts and salt substitutes containing potassium help lower blood pressure and reduce heart risks? Are they safe?

Answer:

"Lite" salts and salt substitutes containing potassium can be a good way to add some potassium to your diet while reducing your intake of sodium. Evidence from some clinical trials suggest that replacing regular table salt with potassium-containing salt substitutes may modestly reduce blood pressure and the risk of stroke and major cardiac events, such as heart attacks, as well as the risk of heart-disease related death in people with high blood pressure. None of these trials were, however, conducted in the U.S., where the primary source of dietary sodium is processed foods and restaurant food.

Used in reasonable quantities, salt substitutes containing potassium are generally safe, but people with kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, and people taking certain medications that impair potassium excretion, including potassium-sparing diuretics, ACE inhibitors and certain other drugs, should consult with their physician before using, as these may increase the risk of high blood levels of potassium, or hyperkalemia.

For more details, see the Salt Substitutes section of our Potassium Supplements Review, where we also discuss and compare Morton Lite Salt, Morton Salt Substitute, NoSalt Original Sodium Free Salt Alternative, and MySalt.