Nutrition implementation research
Program overview
High blood pressure is the biggest cause of premature death and disability worldwide, and excess sodium intake in the form of salt, is a major contributor. Despite global commitments to reduce population sodium intake, most countries remain off track to meet these targets, highlighting the need for new approaches that can improve cardiovascular health at scale.
Our major focus of the Nutrition Implementation Research team is switching the world’s salt supply to potassium-enriched salt. Replacing regular salt with potassium-enriched salt has the potential to prevent an estimated 3 million deaths and 10 million strokes and heart attacks globally each year. Through research, stakeholder engagement and implementation strategies, the team is leading efforts to support the global transition to potassium-enriched salt and accelerate progress towards population sodium reduction.
Expected outcomes
Our research aims to support policies and programs that reduce sodium intake, improve potassium intake and contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and other diet-related chronic diseases this includes:
- Stronger implementation of population salt reduction strategies in Australia and globally.
- Increased availability, affordability, awareness and uptake of potassium-enriched salt.
- Greater adoption of food reformulation approaches that improve the nutritional quality of the food supply.
- Improved nutrition policies and programs informed by implementation research.
- Increased capacity of governments, healthcare professionals and industry to implement evidence-based nutrition interventions.
- Reduced burden of cardiovascular disease and other diet-related chronic diseases.
Potassium-enriched salt
Switching regular salt to potassium-enriched salt is an innovative solution that lowers sodium intake while increasing potassium intake, helping to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. The team leads a global program of work to support the scale-up of a switch to potassium-enriched salt with a focus on switching the world’s salt supply and scaling-up potassium-enriched salt substitutes in Australia. We work closely with governments, healthcare professionals, food industry, civil society organisations, consumers and research partners to achieve effective implementation. We also host the Centre for Research Excellence on potassium-enriched salt for cardiovascular prevention.
Partnership and impact
Through collaborations with the WHO, Resolve to Save Lives, Johns Hopkins University, the University of New South Wales, and an international network of researchers, we help advance and implement effective nutrition interventions globally.
Together with our catalyst partner, the Heart Foundation, we are accelerating the adoption of potassium-enriched salt across Australia.
Salt reduction
Reducing population salt intake is one of the most cost-effective strategies for preventing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. As the WHO Collaborating Centre on Salt Reduction, The George Institute supports countries to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based salt reduction strategies.
