Potassium is vital to the functioning of your heart, kidneys, nerves, muscles and digestive system. As many food sources offer a rich supply of potassium, deficiencies rarely result from a lack of the mineral in your diet. Rather, certain health conditions and medications deplete your body's potassium reserves or contribute to excessive elimination. In addition to the many known symptoms associated with potassium deficiencies, researchers are currently examining the relationship between potassium levels and mood, and early findings suggest a possible link between low potassium and depression.
Potassium for Health
The established guidelines of the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Center advise adult women and men to costume at least 4,700 mcg of potassium every day. Within your body, one crucial role of potassium is to work as an electrolyte, carrying a small electrical charge required for the normal activity of the heart. Potassium is also essential for nerve impulse transmission and needed for muscle contraction.
Potassium Deficiency
Lower-than-normal levels of potassium carry a serious risk to your health and can result in heartbeat irregularities and hypertension, or high blood pressure. Potassium deficiency, also known as hypokalemia, is associated with certain kidney and adrenal gland disorders, as well as regular use of diuretics, laxatives and steroids. Because these medications run a high risk of depleting potassium levels, the National Institutes of Health recommend that individuals taking them have their potassium levels regularly monitored. Hypokalemia, which is clinically defined as a blood potassium level of less than 2.5 mEq per liter, can produce symptoms of weakness, constipation, muscle cramps, fatigue and arrhythmia.
Potassium for Depression
Low potassium levels may also be associated with greater risk for mood disturbances and depression. A May 2008 study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" examined the relationship between dietary electrolytes and mood, and found that a high-potassium diet helped to relieve symptoms of depression and tension among study subjects. These findings suggest both that potassium may be useful in the treatment of mood disturbances and that low potassium levels may be linked to symptoms of depression. A study in the journal "Nature Neuroscience" published in August 2006 investigated the role of potassium in the regulation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter closely associated with positive mental state. The researchers speculated that potassium channels in the brain may play an important role in serotonin regulation and may contribute to further advances in creating antidepressant medications.
Caution
Maintaining a normal potassium level is essential for maintaining health, and even slight elevations or reductions can result in serious consequences. Low potassium levels, which are normally diagnosed with a blood test, require treatment under the guidance of your physician. Potassium is available as a dietary supplement; however, supplemental potassium is typically not effective in addressing deficiencies, as low levels are most often caused by an underlying health condition or prescription medication. Excessive potassium can also have deleterious effects, and if you have a kidney or adrenal disorder or are currently taking a prescription drug, be sure to consult your doctor before including a supplement in your nutritional regimen.
In severe or prolonged cases, depression can be a debilitating condition. If you are depressed, talk to your doctor about possible treatments and lifestyle changes.
References
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Potassium
- Linus Pauling Institute: Potassium
- Mayo Clinic: Low Potassium (Hypokalemia)
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary Electrolytes Are Related to Mood; Susan J. Torres et al; May 2008
- "Nature Neuroscience"; Deletion of the Background Potassium Channel TREK-1 Results in a Depression-Resistant Phenotype; Catherine Heurteaux et al; August 2006
