Key result
Trial protocol tests whether a self-selected high-potassium or low-sodium diet improves endothelial function in young adults.
Why the study?
Reducing sodium intake is challenging, and it is unknown whether increasing habitual potassium intake is achievable and effective outside laboratory settings to improve vascular health in young adults.
Does a self-selected high-potassium diet compared to a self-selected low-sodium diet improve feasibility and endothelial function in young adults typically consuming high sodium?
Does a self-selected high-potassium diet compared to a self-selected low-sodium diet improve feasibility and endothelial function in young adults typically consuming high sodium?
This study protocol aims to evaluate whether increasing potassium intake is a more feasible and effective strategy than reducing sodium intake for improving vascular health in young adults.
May guide dietary counseling in young adults; leaves open which target better improves endothelial function.
Objectives: Mitigating the deleterious effects of sodium early in adulthood is ideal for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. However, reducing sodium intake is challenging. Results from controlled feeding studies in young adults show that a high potassium intake offsets sodium-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction, which is a key CVD risk factor. Whether increasing habitual potassium intake is achievable and effective outside the laboratory setting remains unknown. Our objective is to determine whether young, healthy adults who typically consume ≥3,000 mg sodium/day can more successfully achieve a self-selected high-potassium intake (goal: ≥4,700 mg/day) compared with a self-selected low-sodium intake (goal: ≤1,500 mg/day), and whether these dietary changes result in measurable improvements in endothelial function.
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Lobene et al. (2026) studied Cardiovascular disease prevention. Nutrition education to increase potassium intake vs. Nutrition education for low-sodium intake (goal: ≤1,500 mg/day) was evaluated on Achieving dietary goals and measurable improvements in endothelial function. This is a study protocol to determine if young adults can achieve a self-selected high-potassium diet versus a low-sodium diet and improve endothelial function; no results are reported.
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