If you’re concerned about blood pressure problems—here’s a bit of good news. A new study suggests adding more potassium to your diet may reduce your risk for high blood pressure!

The new findings suggest that low potassium may be an important factor contributing to high blood pressure, especially among African Americans. Researchers also identified a gene that may influence potassium’s effects on blood pressure.

According to a statement from the American Society of Nephrology, these findings were presented at the group’s 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pa., in November 2008.

“There has been a lot of publicity about lowering salt or sodium in the diet in order to lower blood pressure, but not enough on increasing dietary potassium,” said lead study author Susan Hedayati, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The researchers analyzed data from 3,300 participants in the Dallas Heart Study. About half of these patients were African American, and were found to be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure from the potassium deficiency. Hedayati said the results showed that “the lower the potassium in the urine… the lower the potassium in the diet, [hence] the higher the blood pressure.”

Hedayati said the potassium deficiency had an even stronger effect on raising blood pressure than a high-sodium diet. And the relationship between low potassium and high blood pressure remained significant even when other factors such as age, race, cholesterol levels, diabetes and smoking were taken into account.

Research performed in the laboratory of Chou-Long Huang, M.D., a co-author of this study, has found evidence that a specific gene, called WNK1, may be responsible for potassium’s effects on blood pressure.

“We are currently doing more research to test how low potassium in the diet affects blood pressure through the activity of this gene,” Hedayati added.

Previous research such as the landmark “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” study (DASH) also showed the link between potassium deficiency and high blood pressure.

The researchers encourage people to include more high-potassium foods such as bananas, citrus fruits and vegetables to help lower blood pressure. And if you’re not getting enough potassium through the foods you eat—try a high-quality supplement to help boost your intake.