Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that plays an essential role in heart functioning, muscle contraction and digestion. While dietary sources are generally adequate to meet potassium needs in most people, some people may suffer from health conditions that impair potassium absorption, or result in an excessive loss of potassium from the body. In these cases, supplementation may be necessary to prevent deficiency and maintain health. Consult your doctor before beginning supplementation with potassium or any other nutrient.
Step 1
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain potassium. Apricots, bananas, dates, raisins, nectarines, carrots, broccoli, celery, spinach and tomato are all good sources of the mineral.
Step 2
Include several servings of low-fat, potassium-rich dairy in your daily diet. Milk and yogurt are both good sources of potassium, but cheese provides little potassium per serving.
Step 3
Choose meats high in potassium, such as beef, chicken and some fish. Bacon, corned beef and other processed meats are generally high in sodium and low in potassium.
Step 4
Substitute high-potassium soy products and veggie burgers for meat if you are vegan or vegetarian.
Step 5
Limit your intake of processed foods. While these foods usually have added sodium, they do not contain additional potassium. This can result in an imbalance between the two minerals in your body.
Step 6
Increase the amount of potassium you take in each day if you engage in regular strenuous activity or suffer from a health condition that interferes with potassium absorption, such as chronic diarrhea or alcoholism.
Step 7
Take a daily potassium supplement if your dietary intake is not sufficient to meet your needs. Be careful not to take in too much potassium, as doing so can cause negative health effects. Adults require 4,700 mg of potassium daily.
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