Potassium is a vital nutrient in your diet. It regulates a wide variety of physical processes your body depends on for survival. Since it's present in almost all the food you eat, it's unlikely you're potassium-deficient, but you still might not be reaching your recommended daily intake. Counting the milligrams of potassium you're consuming and deliberately choosing high-potassium foods will help you develop healthier eating habits.
Importance of Potassium
The University of Florida describes potassium as an electrolyte, a class of nutritional mineral to which sodium and chloride also belong. Potassium plays a part in maintaining normal blood pressure, nerve signal transmission, maintaining healthy bones and muscle contraction. According to the Cleveland Clinic, potassium is also required for normal growth and muscle development. It helps regulate the balance of water and acid inside your blood and tissues. Additionally, it helps break down amino acids and carbohydrates for your body's use.
Maintaining Normal Potassium Levels
The Cleveland Clinic states that a normal potassium level is between 3.5 and 5.0 mEq/L, or milliequivalents, per liter of blood serum. According to the University of Florida, both men and women 19 years of age and up should consume 4,700 mg per day of potassium. Women who are breastfeeding should increase their daily intake to 5,100 mg. To ensure you are getting the right amount of potassium, include high potassium foods in your daily diet.
Reasons to Limit Dietary Potassium
If you suffer from kidney disease or heart failure, your kidneys may not be able to remove excess potassium from your system reliably. In that case, your doctor or dietitian may place you on a low-potassium diet, requiring you to track the potassium levels in your food to prevent your building up a dangerous excess of potassium in your blood. Excess potassium, or hyperkalemia, can cause serious side effects. The Cleveland Clinic lists muscle weakness, nausea, diarrhea, general pain and discomfort among possible warning signs of hyperkalemia. If untreated, these may progress to symptoms such as paralysis, irregular pulse and the inability to urinate or difficulty urinating. The Medical College of Wisconsin states that too much potassium can even make your heart stop without warning.
High-Potassium Foods
Fruits high in potassium include bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, apricots, prunes and raisins. High-potassium vegetables include broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes and greens such as chard, collard greens, dandelion, mustard and beet. Other high-potassium foods include chocolate, coffee, nuts and the bran portion of grains.
To get the maximum potassium out of your potato, bake it rather than boiling it and eat the skin. A medium-size baked potato with the skin on provides 930 mg of potassium. In comparison, a cup of cooked spinach has 840 mg potassium, and a cup of cooked pinto beans contains 750.
According to Krispin Sullivan, CN, boiling leaches much of your foods' potassium into the water. This is not a problem if you're making soup or stew, but it will reduce your potassium intake if you drain the water away.
Low-Potassium Foods
Apples, grapes, pears, watermelons, cranberries and cherries are fruits that the Medical College of Wisconsin lists as being low in potassium. Green beans and wax beans, as well as cucumbers, onions, lettuce and carrots are low-potassium vegetables. Rice, noodles, cereal and bread products, as long as they do not contain extra bran or wheat germ, also have lower levels of potassium.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends boiling or soaking fruits and vegetables to reduce their potassium content if you are trying to lower your potassium intake. Watch out also for potassium used as a preservative or a salt substitute in canned or prepared foods.
Potassium Supplements
Potassium supplements are usually not necessary. A healthy balanced diet normally provides all the potassium you need. For this reason, according to the University of Florida, you are unlikely to experience potassium deficiency in the absence of other conditions such as excessive diarrhea, vomiting, frequent laxative use or kidney problems. Your doctor may recommend a potassium supplement if you are taking diuretic medication for blood pressure control. But taking potassium supplements can easily lead to accidental overdose and hyperkalemia. Consult your medical practitioner before taking potassium supplements.
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