According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, potassium is a "macromineral," along with calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate and sodium. Macrominerals serve as electrolytes, conducting electrical impulses in the body, and are required for bone, muscle, heart and brain function, and to maintain acid-base balance. A healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables can supply your daily requirement of potassium.
Fruits
The National Institutes of Health advises good fruit sources of potassium include all citrus fruits, bananas, cantaloupe, figs, raspberries, strawberries, plums, kiwi, grapes, apricots, tomatoes and nuts. In some cases, dried fruit contains more than fresh. Examples of this are dried apricots and prunes, which are dried plums. For example, The World's Healthiest Foods website lists one plum as containing 113.52mg of potassium and 1/4 cup of prunes as containing 316.63mg.
Vegetables
Many vegetables are good sources of potassium, including green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, romaine and spinach. Beans, such as lima, pinto, kidney, lentils and green beans, are good sources. Potatoes and cucumbers are also good, especially when you eat their skins. Other good vegetable sources are celery, peas, brussel sprouts, beets, asparagus, bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter and summer squashes, and eggplant.
Supplements
Having too much potassium is called hyperkalemia; having too little is called hypokalemia. Potassium balance is affected by the amounts of sodium and magnesium in your blood. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a diet high in salt can increase the need for potassium. Potassium is available in supplements and is often a component of multivitamins. However, it is best to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements since too much potassium is as dangerous as too little.
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