A recent study in JAMA Pediatrics shows that eating potassium-rich foods during the teen years can lower blood pressure later in life. [1] Potassium-rich foods include bananas, baked potatoes, spinach, and kiwi. [2]
Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Colorado School of Medicine watched 2,185 girls over ten years. The study began when the girls were nine to ten years old. Scientists checked their blood pressure and tracked their diets every year.
The data showed that sodium intake did not have a major effect on blood pressure in this group.
By the time the girls reached ages 17 to 21, those who consumed the most potassium had lower blood pressure. Their blood pressure averaged 1.2/1.2 mm Hg lower than the girls who ate the least potassium. The data showed that sodium intake did not have a major effect on blood pressure in this group.
Keeping blood pressure lower early in life can help prevent hypertension. Hypertension is a condition that increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes later on.
Fruits and vegetables offer some of the best sources of potassium.
Sources
Fruits and vegetables are among the best sources of potassium. One medium banana provides 8% of the daily value for potassium. Other good choices include baked potatoes with the skin, cooked spinach, acorn squash, and kiwi.
Older Adults, Too
The health benefits of potassium also help older adults. The American Heart Association published a separate study about postmenopausal women that showed up to a 30% lower risk of stroke compared with women who got the least potassium.
Notes:
- ^Dole. (2026). Potassium Linked to Lower Blood Pressure in Adolescents – Dole. Dole. Retrieved from https://www.dole.com/blog/back-to-school-bananas (go back ↩)
- ^Ibid. (go back ↩)
