Health is a matter of balance and in that balance there are key elements. One of them is potassium, a mineral that should not be missing in the diet. Among its many functions, essential for the body, are helping us eliminate fluids, control hypertension and properly contract muscles, including the heart.

One of the most common problems that unbalance our diet is excessive sodium consumption compared to potassium. Good cardiovascular and general health requires not only that we reduce sodium consumption but that we increase potassium consumption.

In fact, according to various randomized control and epidemiological studies, people who consume more sodium and less potassium are not only at greater risk of suffering from hypertension, but also risk of dying from heart attack or other causes.

This is reflected in a study published in Archives of Internal Medicinewhich also points out that, beyond the absolute amounts of potassium or sodium that we consume, What influences the most is the proportion between these two minerals in our diet: people who consume a higher proportion of sodium compared to potassium have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack than people who consume the lowest proportion.

Changes in diet can be key when it comes to reducing risk, the same researchers point out. The secret: increase your consumption of foods rich in potassium and low in sodium, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and reduce consumption of foods that provide a lot of sodium and little potassiumsuch as bread, processed products or cheese.

There is no doubt, then, that The best sources of potassium are fruits, vegetables and other plant foods, since they are not only foods rich in potassium but also provide little sodium.

Here you have one selection of the most prominent potassium sources What you can include in your diet to improve the balance between sodium and potassium: