Potassium Intake: Mechanisms and Health Outcomes
A Special Issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643) belonging to the section "Micronutrients and Human Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2026 | Viewed by 1529
Editor
Interests: potassium intake; salt intake; cardiovascular disease; hypertension; metabolism; meta-analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Potassium is a key dietary factor with important implications for human health, particularly in relation to cardiovascular prevention. A substantial body of evidence indicates that higher potassium intake is associated with more favorable health outcomes. Nevertheless, potassium intake at the population level remains suboptimal worldwide, and recommended intake targets are frequently not achieved.
A central aspect of potassium nutrition is its close relationship with sodium intake. The dietary sodium–potassium balance has emerged as a relevant target for both clinical and public health strategies, with primary emphasis on food-based approaches aimed at increasing potassium intake while reducing sodium consumption. Within this framework, potassium supplementation and the use of potassium-enriched or potassium-added, low-sodium salts represent an evolving and potentially promising area, offering practical tools to improve electrolyte balance at the population level. However, these strategies should be regarded as complementary to dietary interventions and considered mainly in specific conditions or scenarios. Moreover, evidence regarding their long-term effectiveness, safety, and suitability across different population subgroups remains limited, highlighting the need for further targeted research and careful evaluation in diverse clinical and public health contexts.
Beyond cardiovascular outcomes, potassium intake has been linked to a range of non-cardiovascular conditions, such as nephrolithiasis, bone health, and glucose metabolism, although the available evidence remains heterogeneous. In parallel, recommended potassium intake thresholds differ considerably among international scientific societies and health authorities, reflecting variations in evidence interpretation and methodological approaches. This variability highlights the need for further research aimed at refining intake thresholds and supporting the harmonization of international guidelines.
In this evolving field, artificial intelligence and advanced data-driven methods offer new opportunities to integrate large datasets, explore intake–response relationships, and improve the precision of potassium intake recommendations across different populations and clinical contexts.
This Special Issue of Nutrients aims to collect original research articles and reviews addressing potassium intake from dietary and supplemental sources, potassium-enriched salts, interactions with sodium, and health outcomes in the general population and in specific clinical conditions, including studies applying artificial intelligence to potassium research. Together, these contributions may help strengthen the evidence base and inform the development of more consistent, evidence-based international recommendations.
We look forward to your contributions.
Dr. Lanfranco D’Elia
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- dietary potassium
- potassium intake
- urinary potassium excretion
- potassium supplementation
- salt substitutes
- sodium–potassium balance
- cardiovascular disease
- blood pressure
- kidney health
- nephrolithiasis
- bone health
- glucose metabolism
- artificial intelligence
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