Potassium is a mineral found in abundance in many healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Incorporating more potassium in your daily diet has been linked with having a healthier heart and preventing kidney stones, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you wish to elevate the potassium levels in your body, you can increase your intake of high-potassium foods.
Intake Considerations
The adequate intake level for potassium means the amount of potassium you should eat each day to maintain healthy potassium levels in the body. For men and women ages 13 and older, this intake level is 4,700 mg per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, men and women in the United States tend to get much less than this recommended intake. Women eat about 2,300 mg of potassium per day on average while men consume 3,100 mg of potassium per day in the United States.
Vegetables
Many vegetables contain high potassium levels. One medium baked potato with skin, which contains 926 mg of potassium. Other vegetable sources of potassium that contain more than 200 mg per serving include one cup of tomato juice or asparagus or 1/2 cup of cooked pumpkin or mushrooms. Lima beans, acorn squash and artichoke are other examples of high-potassium vegetables.
Fruits
Incorporating extra fruit servings into your daily diet can help increase your overall potassium levels. Examples of high-potassium fruits that have more than 300 mg include apricots, avocado, cantaloupe, dates, nectarines, prunes and raisins, according to Colorado State University. Additional fruit options include one papaya, which has 781 mg of potassium per serving while one small banana has 467 mg of potassium.
Miscellaneous
Fruits and vegetables aren't the only food sources high in potassium in your daily diet. Other high-potassium food sources include 3 oz. of chicken, fish, canned salmon and turkey. Dairy products like one cup of milk, buttermilk or yogurt also contain more than 300 mg of potassium per serving.
Warning
If you are healthy, increasing your potassium intake via the foods you eat can be a good thing. However, if you have a condition like kidney or liver disease, your ability to filter potassium may be compromised. Talk to your physician to ensure increasing your potassium intake via foods will not be harmful to your health.
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