The bony skeletal system of your body is comprised of building blocks made of mineral salts and proteins. In order to keep them healthy, exercise and a balanced diet that includes minerals such as potassium are very important. Your bones can become weak, porous and easily fractured in conditions such as alcoholism, osteoporosis, in which bone mass is reduced due to aging or a deficiency of potassium and other minerals, and during menopause due to decreased levels of the hormone estrogen. Your potassium levels can also be affected by certain medications causing the bones to become weakened. Your family doctor can determine your mineral levels with blood tests to check your bone health.
Potassium Functions
Potassium is a vital mineral that your body requires for functions including balancing acids and bases, nerve activation, heart and skeletal muscle contraction, digestion and maintaining normal bone density. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University notes that in conditions where the body becomes acidic, such as due to kidney diseases, alcoholism or eating excess meat, potassium neutralizes the acidity by transporting salts from the bones to the blood. This can lead to brittle and weak bones.
Low Potassium Effects
The National Osteoporosis Foundation explains that if your potassium stores are low due to diarrhea, vomiting and other reasons, calcium is released from bones, causing decreased bone density. MayoClinic.com notes that low potassium levels also cause tiredness, bone pain, constipation, abnormal heart muscle activity and other effects.
Potassium Blood Levels
Potassium maintains your bone strength by keeping calcium and other mineral salts inside your bones. A clinical trial published in the journal "Osteoporosis International" notes that maintaining potassium levels in your body helps to prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis and keeps your bones from becoming brittle and weak. Hence, high potassium levels in the blood are generally a marker of balanced bone health.
Food Sources
A diet high in potassium consists of foods such as bananas, citrus fruits, prunes, kiwis, apricots, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, fish, soya and soya products and milk and dairy products. The National Institutes of Health state that the recommended intake for males and females aged 14 years and upward is 4.7 grams of potassium per day.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Conditions for Fracture, Bones
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Potassium
- "Osteoporosis International"; The Effects of High Potassium Consumption on Bone Mineral Density; K. Zhu, et al.; February 20, 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Low Potassium
- National Osteoporosis Foundation: Fast Facts Osteoporosis
- National Institutes of Health: Potassium in Diet
