High blood pressure is a “ silent killer ” because the symptoms often don’t show until the person develops complications such as stroke or heart attack. It is pervasive in Indonesia and the prevalence is on the rise. As of 2018, one out of every three Indonesians aged 18 years and above – and up to half of Indonesians over 40 – have high blood pressure.
That’s up from one in four affected adults half a decade earlier. High blood pressure has been linked to unhealthy diets , especially those high in sodium . The World Health Organisation recommends we should consume no more than 2000 mg of sodium (or 5 grams of salt) per day.
That’s about one teaspoon a day. Also, we should consume at least 3510 mg of potassium per day. Insufficient potassium intake, driven in part by diets low in fruits and vegetables, increases the risk of high blood pressure.
However, a national food consumption survey in Indonesia found that on average, more than half of the population eats above 5 grams of salt per day. Another study shows practically no-one is consuming the recommended amount of potassium. In the 2023 WHO global report on hypertension , salt substitutes with reduced sodium and added potassium are highlighted as an affordable strategy to tackle high blood pressure.
A recent overview of randomised controlled trials has shown these salt substitutes are effective in reducing blood pressure and deaths from heart disease and stroke. Our study, published in The Lancet Regional Hea.