We eat too much sodium and too little potassium. If you continue to eat this way you will be
at a higher risk for increased blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. How can you reverse
this? Let’s find out, coming next!
I am Dr.John board certified in Internal Medicine as well as geriatric medicine. This channel
will give you tips and advice to promote your health and to keep you young.
What is potassium?
Potassium is a mineral and it has an important role in your body. Potassium is found in your
food and once you ingest potassium it functions as an electrolyte in your body. Electrolytes
are essential minerals and are vital to a variety of key functions in your body. Apart
from playing a role in blood pressure, potassium is essential in the following functions in
your body: Water balance (especially in your kidney),
maintaining your body pH, conducting nerve impulses, maintaining your heart function,
and heart rhythm, muscle contractions, as well as when you eat and digest food.
How can potassium help with your blood pressure?
If you eat more potassium, you pee out more sodium. This is a good thing. This is because
if you have too much sodium in your body …. Sodium holds onto water which then increases your
blood pressure. Why is this? Well sodium and potassium work sort of in opposite ways in
your body. Sodium is pumped out of your cell and potassium is pumped into your cell through
means of the sodium potassium pump. If you eat more potassium, then more sodium can be
peed out. Moreover, potassium also helps ease the tension of your blood vessels which in
turn helps lower your blood pressure.
If you are interested in which foods can lower your blood pressure, click right here.
Where can you find potassium?
Potassium can be found in a variety of foods especially vegetables, fruits and fish. The
recommended amount according to the NIH is 3,400mg per day for men and 2,400mg per day
for women.
Good sources of potassium would be:
• Avocado • Yogurt
• Winter squash (acorn or butternut) • Spinach and other greens
• Potatoes, esp. sweet potatoes • Salmon and sardines
• Dried fruits such as apricots and prunes, • Fruits such as bananas and grapefruit
• Vegetables such as beets and broccoli • White beans, lima beans, black beans,
and other legumes
But Doctor how would I know how much potassium are in foods. For example, 1 medium banana
is about 422mg of potassium, I cup of fresh OJ is 496mg of potassium and 3 ounces of Salmon
Atlantic cooked is 534mg of potassium. So, if you go this website:
https://fdc.nal.usda.govTraf/mo (us): or google FoodData Central USDA you can find the nutrient
profile of different foods.
“Choosing plenty of food sources of potassium throughout the day is necessary to meet recommendations.
For instance, standard portions of nonfat plain yogurt and bananas at breakfast, baked
potato with wild Atlantic salmon and avocado at dinner, plus one-and-a-half cups of non-fat
milk during the day could help potassium intake reach approximately 3,400 mg.” Foodinsight.org.
You can also read the nutrition label and figure out how much potassium is in the food
per serving size.
Another take home point is that if you boil vegetables, especially if they have been cut,
potassium ends up being leeched into your boiling water. Therefore, if you grill, dry
heat, roast or sauté your vegetables those good nutrients are readily available for you
and your health.
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What happens if you have too little potassium in your body?
Lack of potassium causes a deficiency and can present with the following symptoms: GI
symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and constipation. It can cause you to feel 3.6-5.2 mmol/lmol/LYou
might present with symptoms such as muscle spasms or cramping or even irregular heartbeat
or rhythm. Your health care provider can do a simple test to diagnose if your blood level
is too low. Normally, your blood potassium level is 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
A very low potassium level (less than 2.5 mmol/L) can be life-threatening and requires
urgent medical attention.
What happens if you have too much potassium in your diet?
• It is unlikely that through dietary means, if you are following a balanced diet, that
your potassium will be running too high. However, if you have concomitant kidney disease or
are taking certain medications (such as potassium supplements, Lisinopril, or Spironolactone)
it can cause high levels of potassium also referred to as hyperkalemia. This can be also
checked with a simple blood test at your Doctor’s office. A potassium level higher than 5.5
mmol/L is critically high, and a potassium level over 6 mmol/L can be life-threatening.
If the levels are this high this can lead to heart arrhythmias or even death.
•
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