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Low-sodium salt substitutes are not one product category. The term can mean a blend that replaces some sodium chloride with potassium chloride, a potassium-only salt replacement, or a salt-free way to add flavor with herbs, spices, citrus, garlic, or vinegar. Those choices are not interchangeable. Potassium-containing products can lower sodium, but they can also raise potassium to unsafe levels for some people.
For adults in the general population who choose to add table salt, the World Health Organization (WHO) conditionally suggests replacing regular table salt with a lower-sodium substitute that contains potassium. That recommendation does not cover children, pregnant women, people with kidney impairment, or anyone with a condition or treatment that may reduce potassium excretion. People in those groups should obtain individualized advice before using a potassium-based product.
What “low-sodium salt substitute” can mean
Check what a product actually contains before treating it as a health upgrade. Three different approaches are commonly described with the same phrase:
Potassium-containing salt blends
These products replace part of sodium chloride with potassium chloride. They still contain sodium, but less than an equivalent amount of ordinary table salt. The potassium content can be substantial, and the sodium-to-potassium ratio differs by formulation.
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Potassium-only salt replacements
A salt-free potassium chloride product may contain no sodium while delivering a large amount of potassium in each serving. “No sodium” therefore does not mean “safe for everyone.” It may be unsuitable for a person who has been told to restrict potassium or whose kidneys or medicines affect potassium balance.
Salt-free flavorings
Herbs, spices, citrus juice or zest, garlic, onions, vinegar, and other aromatic ingredients add flavor without functioning as a salt substitute. They do not add potassium chloride unless a packaged seasoning specifically lists it. This approach avoids deliberately adding either sodium chloride or potassium chloride, but it is a culinary strategy rather than the potassium-based intervention addressed by the WHO guideline.
Do not infer a product’s composition from words such as “lite,” “light,” “heart healthy,” or “reduced sodium.” Read the ingredient list and the nutrition panel.
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What the WHO recommendation actually says
WHO’s Use of lower-sodium salt substitutes: WHO guideline, published 27 January 2025, states: If choosing to use table salt, WHO suggests replacing regular table salt with lower-sodium salt substitutes that contain potassium (conditional recommendation).
The scope is essential. WHO applies this suggestion to adults in the general population who choose to use discretionary table salt. It does not apply to children or pregnant women. It also excludes people with kidney impairment and people with other conditions or circumstances that might compromise potassium excretion. WHO gives potassium-sparing diuretics and potassium supplements as examples of circumstances requiring exclusion.
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The recommendation concerns salt added at the table or during cooking. It is not a claim that a substitute removes sodium already present in packaged foods, takeaway meals, restaurant dishes, sauces, breads, or processed meats. Reducing those sources remains necessary when the goal is lower overall sodium intake.
Because the recommendation is conditional, it is not a universal instruction to start using potassium chloride. It means the expected population benefit may outweigh harms for eligible adults, while the balance depends on a person’s health status, medicines, diet, and ability to excrete potassium.
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WHO’s evidence review included 26 randomized controlled trials published from 1986 through 2021. The trials involved 34,961 adults and 92 children, and most tested products that replaced sodium with potassium. Across the trial follow-up periods, which ranged from 56 days to five years, lower-sodium substitutes reduced mean systolic blood pressure by 4.76 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure by 2.43 mmHg compared with regular salt. WHO rates this evidence as moderate certainty.
Those are averages across study groups, not a guaranteed change for an individual. The trials also generally excluded people in whom extra potassium could cause harm, including participants with kidney disease, impaired renal function, or use of potassium-sparing medicines. Consequently, the trials cannot establish safety for those excluded groups. A lower blood-pressure average in eligible participants should not be interpreted as proof that a potassium product is appropriate for someone with kidney impairment or a potassium-related treatment.
WHO’s 2025 background material reports an estimated mean global sodium intake of 4.3 g per day in 2019, more than twice the organization’s recommended adult intake of below 2 g per day. The same WHO page reports an estimate of 1.9 million deaths each year attributable to high sodium intake. These figures describe population burden; they do not predict an individual’s risk or quantify what one product will achieve.
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How to decide what to use
Step 1: Identify whether you need a potassium product at all
If your priority is simply to make food taste better with less added salt, begin with salt-free flavorings. Use combinations such as roasted garlic and herbs, black pepper with lemon, smoked paprika with vinegar, or toasted spices with citrus zest. These choices do not require you to add potassium chloride.
If you already use table salt and are an eligible adult, a potassium-containing lower-sodium substitute is one option under WHO’s conditional recommendation. It does not permit unlimited use; the amount added still contributes sodium in a blend and potassium in any potassium-containing product.
Step 2: Read the ingredient list
Look specifically for “potassium chloride.” A blend may list both sodium chloride and potassium chloride. A salt-free replacement may list potassium chloride as its principal ingredient. Specialty foods marketed as low sodium can also use potassium chloride, so check those labels when you are tracking potassium.
Step 3: Check both minerals and the serving size
Record the sodium and potassium amounts per stated serving, then compare that serving with how much you actually sprinkle. A quarter teaspoon, a measured sachet, and an unmeasured pinch are not equivalent. Do not assume products have the same sodium or potassium levels simply because they use similar “low-sodium” wording.
Step 4: Read warnings against your care plan
Follow any clinician-directed sodium or potassium limit. A product warning is not overridden by a front-label claim. If you have been told to restrict either mineral, ask your clinician or kidney dietitian whether a particular formulation fits your plan.
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Who should avoid potassium-based substitutes or ask first
People with kidney impairment or chronic kidney disease
Healthy kidneys remove excess potassium. When kidney function is impaired, potassium can accumulate in the blood. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) states: Do not use a potassium-based salt substitute unless your healthcare team says it is safe.
This is a safety-screening instruction, not a claim that every person with kidney disease will be harmed by every product. The appropriate decision depends on kidney function, current potassium level, diet, and treatment.
People taking medicines that can affect potassium
WHO excludes circumstances that may compromise potassium excretion. NKF notes that ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (nsMRAs), and some other medicines can raise potassium, particularly in people with chronic kidney disease. The American Heart Association likewise advises checking with a healthcare professional before using a potassium-based substitute when kidney disease or potassium-affecting medicines are involved.
Do not self-screen by assuming that every medicine in one of these classes creates the same risk. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist to review your complete medicine list, supplements, kidney function, and recent laboratory results.
Children and pregnant women
These groups are outside the scope of WHO’s 2025 recommendation. Do not extend the adult recommendation to a child or during pregnancy without advice from the relevant healthcare professional.
Anyone with a prescribed potassium or sodium restriction
A “low-sodium” label does not make a potassium-containing product suitable for someone on a potassium-restricted diet. Conversely, a person limiting sodium should still account for the sodium remaining in a blend. Use the individualized care plan that was prescribed rather than changing products based only on package marketing.
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Example: how to interpret a product label
Morton describes its consumer Morton Lite Salt as a sodium chloride and potassium chloride blend with 50% less sodium than regular salt. The manufacturer’s published nutrition facts list 290 mg of sodium and 350 mg of potassium per 1/4 teaspoon (1.4 g). Its warning says not to use Lite Salt if you are on a sodium- or potassium-restricted diet unless approved by a physician.
Those are manufacturer-provided figures, not independent testing. Labels and formulations can change, so confirm the current package before relying on the numbers. The example illustrates why the nutrition panel matters: a product can provide less sodium than regular salt while still providing a meaningful potassium dose. It is not a universal recommendation and should not be used by someone with kidney disease, a potassium restriction, or another potassium-handling concern without clinician approval.
Using a substitute without losing sight of total sodium
WHO’s recommendation addresses discretionary table salt, not sodium already built into food. If you replace the salt shaker but continue eating high-sodium packaged or restaurant foods, your total intake may remain high. Read labels on soups, sauces, breads, cured foods, instant meals, and snack foods, and compare the sodium per serving with the amount you actually eat.
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A practical comparison of the main options
| Option | Typical composition described in guidance | What it changes | Main safety question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular table salt | Sodium chloride | Adds sodium without deliberately adding potassium | How much discretionary salt and overall sodium are you consuming? |
| Lower-sodium potassium blend | Some sodium chloride replaced by potassium chloride | Usually lowers sodium per comparable serving while adding potassium | Can you safely handle the added potassium, and what are the sodium and potassium amounts per serving? |
| Potassium-only replacement | Potassium chloride with no sodium in the product | Removes sodium from the product but may deliver substantial potassium | Have your clinician and diet plan approved the potassium dose? |
| Salt-free flavoring | Herbs, spices, citrus, garlic, vinegar, or similar ingredients; packaged products require label checking | Adds flavor without intentionally using sodium chloride or potassium chloride | Does the particular seasoning contain hidden sodium or potassium chloride? |
Questions to ask a clinician or pharmacist
- Is my kidney function adequate for the potassium amount on this label?
- Do any of my prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, or supplements affect potassium?
- Should I avoid potassium chloride entirely, or is a measured amount acceptable?
- What sodium and potassium targets should I follow, and how should I count packaged foods that contain potassium chloride?
- When should my potassium or kidney-function blood tests be rechecked after a diet change?
Bring the exact package or a clear photograph of its nutrition panel. Advice based on the actual serving size is safer than advice based on the product name alone.
Bottom line for choosing what to use
For eligible adults who already use table salt, WHO’s conditional 2025 suggestion supports considering a lower-sodium substitute that contains potassium, while continuing to reduce discretionary salt and sodium from packaged and restaurant food. Potassium-based products are not interchangeable with salt-free seasonings, and “low sodium” does not mean “low potassium.” People with kidney impairment, a potassium or sodium restriction, medicines that affect potassium, children, and pregnant women should not apply the general recommendation without individualized professional guidance.
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