What Happens When Your Potassium Is Too Low?

Potassium is a major mineral that is a necessary part of your diet. According to the Institute of Medicine, the average American adult should consume 4,700 mg of potassium each day. Your intake of potassium may need to be increased if you are breast-feeding or if your doctor recommends it. Good dietary sources of potassium include beans, dates, raisins, spinach and lentils.

Hypokalemia

Hypokalemia describes the condition in which your body lacks adequate potassium. Several factors can contribute. Excessive diarrhea or vomiting, or diuretics that cause your body to excrete large amounts of urine, may deplete your body of potassium. Certain conditions in which your intestines are unable to digest and absorb nutrients might reduce your intake of potassium. Eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia might also cause hypokalemia.

Hypertension

Minerals work to regulate muscular contractions, including the heart muscle. Through an interaction between potassium, sodium and calcium, your specialized cells depolarize and are able to perform their jobs. For your heart, that job is pumping blood. When your potassium levels are too low, this interaction is in jeopardy; it manifests itself as an increase in blood pressure. In a study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in December 1997, the relationship between potassium and blood pressure is explored. This study suggests that low dietary potassium contributes to hypertension, and that adding dietary potassium is sometimes enough to control high blood pressure.

Acid-Base Balance

All dietary minerals work in cooperation to maintain homeostasis in your body. Homeostasis includes a slightly higher than neutral pH of your blood. Without an adequate supply of potassium, you risk suffering from alkalosis. Alkalosis occurs when your body fluids are too basic, or alkaline. More specifically, alkalosis caused by low potassium is referred to as hypokalemic alkalosis. When your body is not in homeostasis, it cannot function properly. Alkalosis can cause tremors, confusion, uncontrollable muscle spasm, nausea and vomiting.

Kidney Stones

If you get too little potassium in your diet, the likelihood of developing kidney stones increases. Urinary calcium is the main cause of kidney stones. Potassium balances out the amount of calcium in your urinary tract. Without adequate potassium, an increase in urinary calcium occurs. More urinary calcium can mean painful kidney stones.