Abstract
Nine clinically healthy young women were given two different kinds of experimental diet; a control (C: containing 10 g/day salt and 2.5g/day potassium) or a high-potassium (K: given 1.9g K as KCl tablets/day with the C diet) diet for 10 days each starting from the first day of menstruation. Systolic blood pressure was decreased significantly after the K diet, whereas it was unchanged after the C diet. Plasma renin activity was lower on the K diet than on the C diet. Both urinary aldosterone and kallikrein excretions were significantly higher on the K diet than, on the C diet. Total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and atherogenic indices were significantly lower on the K diet than on the C diet. The serum insulin concentration was significantly higher on the K diet than on the C diet, whereas the serum glucose concentration did not differ between the two dietary regimens. These results suggest that a high-K diet not only decreases blood pressure but also improves lipid metabolism. Further investigation will be necessary in order to confirm the effects of dietary treatment on hypertensive and/or hyperlipidemic subjects.
