Several of the essential minerals, including sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium, act as electrolytes in the human body. As electrolytes, sodium and potassium regulate blood pressure -- the force of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels -- because they help balance the amount of fluid in the body and maintain the cell membrane potential vital to keep the heart beating rhythmically. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reports that taking potassium supplements like potassium gluconate may help to lower blood pressure, but doctors encourage you to increase your potassium intake through a healthy diet.
Heart Function
Potassium plays a vital role in maintaining a normal heart rhythm. The majority of potassium you consume can be found inside of muscle cells, while sodium remains in the fluid surrounding the cells. The concentration difference between sodium and potassium creates a membrane potential that transmits the electrical impulses sent by nerves, or in the case of the heart muscle cells generated by the sinus node -- specialized cells in the heart that produce the electrical impulses. Failing to consume the 4,700 mg of potassium as suggested by the Institute of Medicine can lead to a potassium deficiency that can cause abnormal heart function and affect blood pressure.
Fluid Control
Consuming too much sodium, usually in the form of table salt, contributes to hypertension -- a condition of high blood pressure. Sodium attracts water, so as the sodium level in your blood increases, the amount of fluid also increases. As the volume of your blood increases your heart must work harder to pump the blood, which increases your blood pressure. Colorado State University Extension explains that potassium can protect against high blood pressure because it stimulates the excretion of sodium. When your body excretes more sodium, the fluid level decreases and your blood pressure decreases.
Potassium Supplements
Potassium is only one dietary factor that affects blood pressure. Maintaining healthy blood pressure requires you to limit your sodium intake while consuming adequate amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Dietary fat and cholesterol also affect blood pressure. For this reason the American Heart Association recommends increasing your potassium intake by eating a healthy diet including potassium-rich foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, bananas, cantaloupe, raisins and tuna. Potassium supplements are available in a variety of forms, including potassium citrate, potassium chloride and potassium gluconate. Because potassium affects heart function, you should only take potassium supplements while under a doctor's care. The Linus Pauling Institute reveals that potassium supplements may help lower blood pressure, especially in those who suffer from a potassium deficiency.
Healthy Blood Pressure
Doctors utilize blood pressure as a way to monitor the health of your cardiovascular system. High blood pressure, defined by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute as a systolic pressure of 140 mmHg or higher or a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or higher, causes damage to the blood vessels and increases the workload on the heart. Areas of damage in the blood vessels attract cholesterol and other debris, leading to the formation of plaque, a condition known as atherosclerosis, that can lead to heart disease. To reduce your risk for heart disease and maintain a healthy blood pressure of less than 120 mmHg over 80 mmHg follow a low-fat, low-sodium, high-potassium diet such as the DASH diet.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Do Vitamin Mineral Supplements like Potassium Lower Blood Pressure?
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Potassium; Stephen Ehrlich; May 2009
- Colorado State University Extension: Potassium and Health; Andersen et. al.; August 2008
- American Heart Association: Potassium and High Blood Pressure; January 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute: Potassium; Victoria Drake; December 2010
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board: Dietary Reference Intake Summary; 2004
