Teenagers' Potassium Levels May Affect Adult Blood Pressure

Teenagers may benefit from a diet high in potassium that could protect them high blood pressure when they become adults, according to a new study.

The study released Monday by JAMA Pediatrics appears to cut against past thinking that cutting salt intake was the best solution, but according to The New York Times the study suggested that sodium intake had no long-term effects on the blood pressure of girls. The new study, instead, found that girls with high potassium diets had lower blood pressure than girls who ate lower potassium-rich foods.

According to the study, researchers followed 2,185 girls of different races starting at ages 9 to 10 years with complete data for early-adolescent to mid-adolescent diet and blood pressure. Researchers followed their progress for 10 years, from 1987-88 through 1999.

"It may be that potassium is more of a determinant of blood pressure than sodium is," said Lynn L. Moore, the study's lead author and an associate professor of medicine at Boston University. "The kids who consumed the most potassium had much lower blood pressures by the end of adolescence. What we need to focus on is increasing potassium intake rather than focusing on restricting sodium intake."

Current guidelines set by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention suggest that people limit their salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, according to the Cleveland Clinic's Health Hub. Those guidelines are more stringent for adults older than age 51, African-Americans and those with high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which limits to salt intake to 1,500 milligrams per day.

In the JAMA Pediatrics study, the girls consumed up to 4,000 milligrams of sodium each day, and their blood pressure was recorded annually, noted the Cleveland Clinic.

"A lot of Americans are most likely surpassing 4,000 milligrams of salt a day in their daily diet already," said registered dietitian Jennifer Willoughby. "This is especially true for those adolescents who consume school lunches."

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