Clinical, epidemiological and chronobiological studies on the relationship between blood pressure and mineral intake have been on-going for the past thirty years. They can be divided into five groups. 1) Clinical studies on salt sensitivity in patients with idiopathic hypertension. 2) Chronobiological studies of blood pressure (BP) fluctuation and urinary electrolyte excretion in relation to BP regulation. These include the Fukuoka-Minnesota collaborative chronoepidemiological study, studies on the circadian rhythns of urinary electrolyte excretion during total parenteral nutrition, and the reapportionment of salt intake in relation to circadian blood pressure patterns. 3) The estimation of the 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion from spot-urine specimens. 4) Comparative epidemiological studies on the genesis of hypertension in Nepal. 5) The effects of high-potassium, high-magnesium or high-fiber intake on blood pressure and the metabolism of lipids and carbo-hydrates in man. A larger proportion of te population are expected to suffer from either mild or borderline hypertension in the future. Non-pharmacological treatment of this condition by regulating the dietary intake of minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, is now considered to be of increasing importance for the treatment of this condition.