Dietary effects on blood pressure

Low density potassium intake, particularly among black hypertensive patients, appears to contribute significantly to this disease and its major sequellae. The high sodium intake of industrialized societies and the epidemic prevalence of hypertension must be considered in the light of a relatively greater urinary potassium excretion as compared to a low-sodium diet with a lower urinary potassium excretion. There is no reason to assume that weight reduction per se is the major contributor to lowering of elevated blood pressure levels although claims to this effect have been made. In general, a high-caloric diet is loaded with sodium while a low-energy diet has a drastically reduced sodium content. The hypothesis that a higher dietary linoleic acid intake via increased prostaglandin synthesis may lead to natriuresis and a drop in blood pressure levels is an interesting development which needs more testing.