Why You Should Use Potassium Salt (Despite Its Weird Taste)
For the past year, I’ve had two salt shakers in my kitchen. One is for regular table salt, which I use at the table. The other is filled with Morton’s salt substitute , which contains potassium, and I use it for the first few pinches of salt when preparing a dish.
The World Health Organization has recommended that we use salt substitutes more often, and not just to reduce sodium: it turns out that potassium is generally good for health, and potassium-containing salt substitutes are an easy way to increase it in your diet.
Benefits of Potassium-Based Salt
If you’ve ever tried to reduce your sodium intake, you’re probably familiar with low-sodium or sodium-free salt substitutes. One potential benefit, of course, is that they make it easy to reduce your sodium intake if you cook frequently at home. Sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and other health problems, so the World Health Organization recommends that most of us consume less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day. (The US recommendation is slightly more generous—2,300 milligrams.)
But it’s not just about sodium. When it comes to heart health, most of us consume more sodium than recommended and not enough potassium. Potassium is another mineral essential to the body, and its consumption has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, in one study , people who switched to potassium-based salt had fewer strokes, heart attacks, and deaths over the course of the study than those who continued to use regular sodium salt.
We typically get potassium from fruits and vegetables. Potassium salt shouldn’t replace it, but it can be a good supplemental source. According to the National Institutes of Health , adult women should consume at least 2,600 milligrams of potassium per day, and adult men should consume at least 3,400.
Disadvantages of potassium-based salt
It’s important to note that potassium supplements aren’t suitable for everyone. If you have kidney disease or impaired kidney function, or if you’re taking medications that affect how your body absorbs potassium, you should avoid these salts. (Your healthcare provider can provide more information.)
What does potassium salt taste like (and how to deal with it)
Those who promote the use of salt substitutes for health reasons tend to ignore concerns about taste. Most people, they say, won’t notice the difference. I don’t quite agree—while you might not notice a difference in every dish, potassium salts do have a subtle flavor that’s different from regular sodium-based table salt. Sprinkle some on your hand and lick it, and you’ll see what I mean.
Potassium salt is still salty and doesn’t taste unpleasant , but it doesn’t have the same pleasant saltiness as regular sodium-based table salt. In large quantities, potassium-based salt substitutes can have a slightly metallic or bitter taste. When companies produce low-sodium versions of their products, they know to use a mixture of potassium and sodium salts, so that’s what I do at home.
I use a salt substitute at the beginning of a dish, when I’m searing meat or sautéing onions. It adds an overall saltiness to the dish. The next time I add salt, it’s usually a high-sodium salt. I try to keep a roughly 50/50 balance, and then I use regular table salt in the salt shaker I take with me to dinner.
If this is too difficult, you can simply mix both types of salt in one container. Or buy a salt substitute, such as Morton Lite , which is a mixture of sodium and potassium salts. And if you need a long-term review to ensure it’s truly suitable for daily use, one of the largest studies of salt substitutes found that after five years, 90% of participants still happily used their salt substitute.