Are salt substitutes good for you?

In a recent study out of China done on 20,995 people over the age of 60 with history of stroke and high blood pressure, there was significant reduction in stroke, heart attack and death in people who used salt substitutes compared to those who used regular salt.

What is a salt substitute? Regular salt is sodium chloride. A salt substitute is a combination of sodium chloride and potassium chloride. In this study the substitute contained 75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride.

These are some of the closest salt substitute available in United States with 66% sodium chloride: https://www.walmart.com/ip/LoSalt-Iodized-Reduced-Sodium-Salt-Alternative-12-3-oz/28646324?wmlspartn

https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Sense-Iodized-3-pack/dp/B07GZ7TK22/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Salt

Are salt substitutes safe for me?

The biggest concern would be the risk of increased potassium levels, however, in the above study on close to 21,000 people, there was no such significant adverse reaction.

If you have kidney disease ( chronic kidney disease, or reduced kidney function), I would exercise caution and have your blood work checked few times a year and check with your doctor.