Potassium

Ate too many nachos? Consider a banana chaser -- your heart might thank you for it. A new study suggests that consuming twice as much potassium as sodium can halve your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The study is the first to show that the ratio of these nutrients in your diet matters more than exactly how much you get of either one. The best strategy for good health, experts are quick to stress, is to eat less sodium and more potassium.

If you're a close reader of nutrition labels, you may have noticed that more food packages now list how much potassium they contain. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't require that, but "there's both consumer and industry interest to provide potassium information on a voluntary basis," says Robert Earl, senior director of nutrition policy at the Food Products Assn., which represents food manufacturers. That's because in recent years several well-regarded groups -- the U.S.

Americans eat far too much salt and not enough potassium -- and they don't need a water bottle with them at all times. The Institute of Medicine, in a report released last week, said that most people are getting enough water from beverages at meals and snack times, from water-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables and from responding to their own thirst.

Drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions can cause a dangerous buildup of potassium, researchers say, and patients taking them need to be watched closely. The drugs -- angiotensin-converting-enzyme, or ACE, inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers -- can raise potassium levels in about 10% of patients, especially those with weak kidneys, said Dr. Biff Palmer of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.