How The Body Reacts With Too Little Potassium

A low potassium level, or hypokalemia, occurs when the amount of potassium in your blood is below the normal level of 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, according to MayoClinic.com. Your cells need potassium to function properly, so dipping below a normal level and not treating the problem could have disastrous effects on your health.

Initial Hypokalemia Symptoms

A slight drop in your potassium level won't usually cause symptoms, but a big drop may cause noticeable problems, warns MedlinePlus. Some symptoms of hypokalemia are weakness, muscle cramping, stomach problems, lack of energy and heart abnormalities. These symptoms usually occur due to loss of potassium through the intestines or through urine and are rarely caused by low potassium intake.

Osteoporosis

A potassium-deficient diet may increase your risk of having thinning bones as you age. In a 1999 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," women and older men whose diets were low in potassium were more likely to have reduced bone mineral density in multiple areas of their bodies as they aged when compared with people who ate a diet that was rich in potassium. In older men, the difference in density at four bone sites was 5.8 percent for every 1000 mg difference in potassium intake. In women, the bone mineral density in three bone sites differed by 5.4 percent for every 1,000 mg difference in potassium intake. Most adults should get at least 4,700 mg of potassium each day in their diets, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

Kidney Stones

In a four-year study of more than 45,000 men that was published in "The New England Journal of Medicine," men who consumed an average of 4,042 mg of potassium per day were half as likely to have problematic kidney stones as men who got less than 2,895 mg on average per day. Another study, published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine," followed more than 90,000 women and found that those who had an average of 3,458 mg of potassium per day over a 12-year span were 65 percent as likely to have problematic kidney stones as women who had an average of 2,703 mg of potassium per day. Participants in both studies got most of their potassium from foods rather than supplements.

High Blood Pressure

Having a diet low in natural sources of potassium -- including sweet potatoes, halibut, greens and bananas -- can negatively affect blood pressure because potassium reduces sodium's blood pressure increasing effects, according to the American Heart Association. Some research even suggests that taking a potassium supplement could reduce your blood pressure, though evidence isn't conclusive. For instance, your blood pressure may only be positively affected by potassium supplements if you are already deficient in potassium. Ask your doctor whether she thinks you would benefit from taking a potassium supplement.

Serious Complications

Your low potassium level can become life threatening and require emergency attention if it dips below 2.5 millequivalents per liter, warns MayoClinic.com. Some serious complications associated with low potassium levels are paralysis, kidney damage and an irregular heartbeat, according to MedlinePlus. Call your doctor if you take diuretics, have excessive diarrhea or have been vomiting and you start to experience symptoms of low potassium.