Core Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Use of Potassium-Enriched Low-Sodium Salt
Adefunke Ajenikoko, Nicole Ide, Roopa Shivashankar, Zeng Ge, Matti Marklund, Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Amy Elizabeth Atun, Alexander Thomson, Megan Henry, Laura K. Cobb
Abstract
Excess sodium consumption and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure and thus increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In low-sodium salt, a portion of the sodium in salt (the amount varies, typically ranging from 10 to 50%) is replaced with minerals such as potassium chloride. Low-sodium salt may be an effective, scalable, and sustainable approach to reduce sodium and therefore reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease at the population level. Low-sodium salt programs have not been widely scaled up, although they have the potential to both reduce dietary sodium intake and increase dietary potassium intake. This article proposes a framework for a successful scale-up of low-sodium salt use in the home through four core strategies: availability, awareness and promotion, affordability, and advocacy. This framework identifies challenges and potential solutions within the core strategies to begin to understand the pathway to successful program implementation and evaluation of low-sodium salt use.