Potassium is an essential mineral and electrolyte. Fruits and vegetables contain a high amount of potassium in the form of potassium citrate and other salts, but not as potassium chloride. The Institute of Medicine established an adequate intake of potassium at 4700 mg per day for adult men and women. At these levels the IOM reports that potassium is effective in reducing kidney stone formation, decreasing blood pressure and reducing salt sensitivity.
Kidney Stones
The majority of kidney stones contain calcium and potassium citrate decreases urinary calcium excretion. A review in the February 2005 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Pathology" reports that potassium citrate supplementation reduced kidney stone formation from 1.2 to 0.1 stones per patient year, compared with no change in the placebo group.
Blood Pressure
Multiple studies have demonstrated that potassium chloride reduces blood pressure and recently other studies have shown that potassium citrate is just as effective. A study in the June 2008 issue of "The British Journal of Nutrition" reports that supplementation with potassium citrate significantly reduced blood pressure in normotensive people. Another study in the April 2005 issue of "Hypertension" reports that potassium citrate supplements also reduce blood pressure in people who are hypertensive. The authors of this study suggest that diets high in potassium citrate are also likely to significantly reduce blood pressure.
Osteoporosis
Diets high in sodium increase calcium loss in the urine. A study in the May 2002 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" reports that potassium citrate supplements reduced calcium excretion and bone resorption markers in postmenopausal women with a high salt intake. However, a study in the August 2008 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" did not find that potassium citrate supplementation for two years affected bone metabolism or increase bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The authors of this study proposed that one reason why their results were negative may have been because calcium intake was adequate in the study population.
References
- Pubmed: "Journal of Clinical Pathology"; Best Practice No 181: Chemical Pathology Clinical Investigation and Management of Nephrolithiasis: T. M. Reynolds; February 2005
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Potassium Citrate Prevents Increased Urine Calcium Excretion and Bone Resorption Induced by a High Sodium Chloride Diet; Deborah E. Sellmeyer et al.; May 2002
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effect of Potassium Citrate Supplementation or Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake on Bone Metabolism in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial; H.M. Macdonald et al.; August 2008
- PubMed: The Effect of a Dietary Supplement of Potassium Chloride or Potassium Citrate on Blood Pressure in Predominantly Normotensive Volunteers
- "Hypertension"; Effect of Short-Term Supplementation of Potassium Chloride and Potassium Citrate on Blood Pressure in Hypertensives; F.J. He et al.; April 2005
- Linus Pauling Institute: Potassium
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