Can a potassium-rich diet lower the risk of chronic kidney disease?


Scientists followed 106,092 people aged 40 to 69 for 12 years. Those who consumed the most potassium had a 14 percent lower risk of chronic kidney disease than those who consumed the least.

What to do

Eat a diet packed with potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. This kind of study can’t prove that potassium lowers the risk of chronic kidney disease, because something else about people who eat more potassium may explain their lower risk.

However, a DASH-like diet helps lower blood pressure, and high blood pressure raises kidney disease risk. A daily 2,000-calorie DASH diet has roughly 4,700 milligrams of potassium.