Blog
Salt Substitutes and Blood Pressure: The Potassium Catch
Salt substitutes and blood pressure meet at one catch: many swap sodium for potassium, and NIH warns that people with kidney disease or on ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics can develop high blood potassium. Cutting sodium helps blood pressure. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before you switch to a substitute.
Written by the Melonex numbers deskUpdated · 4 min read
01The catch
Are salt substitutes safe for high blood pressure?
Salt substitutes are not safe for everyone: potassium in them can build up with kidney disease or certain blood pressure drugs.
NIH's potassium fact sheet says people with kidney disease, or those taking ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics, can develop high blood potassium. It advises asking before using salt substitutes (NIH ODS, Potassium).
Many products replace part of the sodium chloride with potassium chloride. Read the ingredient list on the shaker to see whether yours does.
That is why this is a question for your doctor or pharmacist, not a pantry swap.
| If you have or take | Why ask |
|---|---|
| Kidney disease | High blood potassium can develop (NIH ODS, Potassium) |
| An ACE inhibitor | High blood potassium can develop (NIH ODS, Potassium) |
| A potassium-sparing diuretic | Mayo Clinic lists these drugs as not to be combined with arginine (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) |
| No such drug or condition | Still ask; your doctor knows your labs |
02Sodium first
How much sodium should you aim for?
The AHA says no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, with an ideal goal of 1,500 mg for most adults.
Cutting back by 1,000 mg a day can improve blood pressure. Americans eat over 3,100 mg a day on average (AHA, How much sodium).
The FDA puts the average at about 3,400 mg and says over 70% comes from packaged and prepared foods (FDA, Sodium in your diet). The shaker is a small part of the story.
So the first move is label reading, not a substitute. Our post on LDL and HDL numbers covers another number worth knowing, and the blood pressure numbers guide sets the categories.
3,400 mg average minus a 1,000 mg cut is 2,400 mg. That is near the 2,300 mg limit, from food choices alone.
03Instead of salt
What can you use instead of salt?
Herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar and pepper add flavor with no sodium, and need no potassium check.
Taste can adjust over time. Start with plain seasonings. They carry no sodium chloride and no added potassium.
- Garlic, onion and black pepper
- Lemon or lime juice at the table
- Dried herbs added early in cooking
- Vinegar in dressings and sauces
Low-sodium canned goods, rinsed beans and fresh cuts beat processed versions. Nearly all of the saving comes from packaged food (FDA, Sodium in your diet).
04Check the effect
How can you tell if a change is working?
Keep a cuff log for two weeks before and after the change and compare the averages.
One reading says little. A written log says more. Use a simple log format and avoid the errors in our post on cuff mistakes.
Compare your averages with the AHA categories below. Pressure below 90/60 with dizziness or fainting needs a call to your doctor (NHLBI, Low blood pressure).
- NormalUnder 120and under 80
- Elevated120-129and under 80
- Stage 1130-139or 80-89
- Stage 2140 or higheror 90 or higher
- SevereAbove 180and/or above 120
Type a reading to see its category. One reading is not a diagnosis; a provider uses two or more readings on separate visits.
The categories follow the American Heart Association (AHA, Blood pressure readings). Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure and about 1 in 4 of them have it under control (CDC, High blood pressure facts). A supplement is not a treatment for any category.
Home numbers belong in front of your doctor, especially when you change what you eat or add a supplement. A doctor can also check your blood potassium if that is a worry.
Keep taking prescribed medicine. Never stop or change a dose because of a salt change.
05On the label
Does Melonex change the potassium question?
Mayo Clinic says arginine should not be combined with potassium-sparing diuretics, so tell your doctor first.
Melonex lists L-arginine AKG and L-arginine HCL in its 500 mg blend. The two arginine lines weigh at most 333 mg together per capsule. The label prints no potassium amount.
If you take a potassium-sparing diuretic, an ACE inhibitor or have kidney disease, ask a doctor before adding it or a salt substitute. See supplements and heart medicines.
Prices listed on the seller's order page; confirm at checkout. The 2-bottle kit costs $158, with $9.99 shipping. Ask your doctor about your medicines first. 60-day money-back guarantee per the seller.
Melonex is not a treatment; it is a dietary supplement. Ask your doctor or pharmacist first if you take blood-pressure medicine, nitrates for chest pain, an erectile-dysfunction drug such as sildenafil or tadalafil, a potassium-sparing diuretic (amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene), a blood thinner, or diabetes medicine, or if you have had a recent heart attack. Arginine and citrulline can add to these. Keep taking prescribed medicine. See side effects and interactions.
06FAQ
Melonex questions people ask
Are salt substitutes bad for high blood pressure?
Not by themselves, but they can be a problem for some people. NIH says kidney disease or ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics can raise blood potassium, so ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start one.
Which medicines make salt substitutes risky?
NIH names ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics as medicines linked to high blood potassium. Kidney disease raises the risk too. Bring your full medicine list to your pharmacist and ask about each one.
Is lite salt the same as a salt substitute?
Not always. Some lite salts blend sodium chloride with potassium chloride, which brings the same potassium question. Read the ingredients and ask your pharmacist before you use any blend.
What is the easiest way to cut sodium without a substitute?
Cut packaged and prepared food first, since over 70% of dietary sodium comes from it, per the FDA. Read the sodium line on labels, rinse canned beans and season with herbs, citrus and pepper.
07Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the seller's materials and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, AHA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read how we write and how we check reviews. This website is run by Melonexheart, which describes itself as a U.S. authorized Melonex merchant. It is not the manufacturer or the label's distributor, and we cannot independently verify the 'authorized' status. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
+Keep reading
More about Melonex
U.S. authorized Melonex merchant
Ready to try Melonex?
Show the bottle to your doctor or pharmacist first, then pick a pack. Six bottles cost the least per bottle, and the seller lists a 60-day money-back guarantee on every pack.
- Secure checkout
- 60-day money-back
- Ships from the U.S.