Potassium is a mineral that has important functions in your body. It plays a role in muscle and nerve functioning, as well as in regulating your blood pressure. Health experts recommend that you get the recommended daily amounts of potassium from foods instead of supplements. Scientific studies have not yet provided conclusive evidence that potassium supplements reduce blood pressure better than increased dietary potassium intake.
Potassium Intake Guidelines
Adequate intake of potassium for adults is 4,700 mg daily, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Multivitamins commonly contain 99 mg or less of potassium. Energy and sports drinks often contain even less. A potassium deficiency or hypokalemia is commonly due to illnesses such as kidney disease, fluid loss from prolonged vomiting or extreme physical exertion. Under normal circumstances, the average adult can correct temporary potassium deficiencies by consuming potassium-rich fluids such as orange juice. This is generally all that you need to restore the balance between sodium and potassium in the body's cell membranes.
High Blood Pressure and Potassium
Potassium and sodium work in conjunction to balance water levels in your body and your cells. Researchers have investigated the possible causal relationship between low potassium intake and high blood pressure. One key finding was that people who have high blood pressure often have low levels of potassium intake coupled with excess sodium intake, according to the University of Colorado Extension Service. This research also shows that approximately 10 percent of the population with high blood pressure is sensitive to sodium. It suggests that increasing potassium intake may help to lower blood pressure for those people with sodium sensitivity and high sodium levels.
Physicians often prescribe diuretics for patients with high blood pressure to help the body excrete excess sodium by increasing urination. The unintended consequence of some diuretics is a loss of potassium along with the sodium, according to MayoClinic.com. If you have low levels of potassium and use a diuretic, your physician can prescribe potassium-sparing diuretics that offer the same sodium removal benefits without depleting your body's potassium.
Expert Insight
The Linus Pauling Institute reports that a 1997 meta-analysis of randomized studies showed that among 2,609 people with normal and high blood pressure, potassium supplementation produced small, significant reductions in blood pressure. A study published in the April 2005 issue of the journal "Hypertension" compared the effect of potassium supplementation to increased dietary potassium intake. The researchers found no significant difference between blood pressure decreases attained through diet and those achieved with supplementation.
Dietary Options to Increase Potassium
To achieve optimal sodium and potassium levels with diet, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet for adults with high blood pressure. This diet features decreased sodium intake, coupled with increased dietary intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. The main food sources for potassium are meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, including bananas, raisins, oranges, tomato juice, potatoes and spinach.
References
- Colorado State Extension Service: Potassium and Health; J. Anderson, et al.; August 2008
- Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute: Jane Higdon, et al.; December 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Diuretics: A Cause Of Low Potassium?; Sheldon G. Sheps; July 2, 2009
- PubMed.org; Effect of Short-Term Supplementation of Potassium Chloride and Potassium Citrate on Blood Pressure in Hypertensives; He FJ, et al.; April 2005
