Just as a diet high in sodium boosts your blood pressure, a diet high in sodium's sister element potassium can help keep your blood pressure under control. Fortunately, you can find the mineral in a number of tasty foods, so reaching your daily recommended levels should be easy so long as you spend ample time in the produce aisle. Your doctor or nutritionist can help you determine whether you also need potassium supplements.
Identification
Potassium is an essential dietary mineral for cell, tissue and organ function. Like sodium, it's an electrolyte, meaning it can conduct electricity your muscles and nerves need to work. Potassium helps keep your sodium levels in balance, as cells pump sodium out in exchange for potassium, according to the Linus Pauling Institute out of Oregon State University. Controlling this balance allows nerves to transmit impulses, your muscles to contract and your heart to beat.
Research
The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which surveyed more than 17,000 adults, showed that those who consumed higher potassium levels had significantly lower blood pressure, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. Similarly a 1997 study of dietary approaches to stop hypertension, published in "The New England Journal of Medicine," showed that a potassium-rich diet lowered blood pressure by a few points in healthy individuals and by even more for those with hypertension. Studies are mixed, however, on the ability of potassium supplements to lower blood pressure, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Supplements might help if you otherwise don't get enough potassium in your diet.
Amount
By the time your reach age 14, you need 4,700 mg of potassium per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Women who are breastfeeding need 5,100 mg per day. It is possible to consume too much potassium, creating a condition called hyperkalemia. This can cause muscle weakness, temporary paralysis or even a heart attack. While this is rare with potassium from dietary sources alone, older people are more susceptible to it because their kidneys have more trouble removing potassium, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Sources
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can easily help you reach your daily levels of potassium necessary to control blood pressure. A baked potato with skin contains more than 1,000 mg of potassium, and a cup of raisins contains 1,089 mg, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A cup of tomatoes and winter squash both contain about 900 mg, and spinach and prunes both have more than 800 mg per cup. Other good potassium sources include bananas, oranges, tuna, yogurt and lima beans. Potassium supplements can help you reach those levels, too, but always check with a doctor before using supplements.
Considerations
Though potassium plays a role in controlling blood pressure, it's more effective when paired with an overall change in diet, according to the American Heart Association. This includes eating more whole grains and cutting down on sweets, salt and red meat. Additionally, if a doctor has prescribed diuretics to you to treat high blood pressure, you might also be lowering your potassium levels, according to MayoClinic.com. You can combat this by taking potassium supplements, increasing potassium in your diet or switching to a potassium-sparing diuretic.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Potassium
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Potassium
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; A Clinical Trial of the Effects of Dietary Patterns on Blood Pressure; Lawrence J. Appel, et al; April 1997
- U.S. National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure
- American Heart Association: Potassium and High Blood Pressure
