Potassium is an essential mineral vital to good health and nutrition. You can get the potassium you need if you eat a varied diet abundant in fruits and vegetables -- rich sources of this mineral. Rice milk contains some potassium but nowhere near the amount you need per serving to successfully meet your adequate intake, or AI.
Potassium
Potassium is essential for healthy cell functioning. It's also one of six electrolytes, electrically charged particles that circulate in your blood, urine and other body fluids. Potassium encourages proper heart, muscle and digestive function. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of dietary potassium, although it's also present in meat, fish and dairy foods. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the average dietary intake of potassium for women is 2,300 mg a day. Men get 3,100 mg of potassium a day on average.
Rice Milk Nutrition
An 8-oz. serving of rice milk has 120 calories, 20 of which come from fat. Rice milk has no dietary cholesterol and is low in sodium; its total fat comes from heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. A cup of rice milk has 65 mg of potassium. By comparison, the same serving of vitamin-fortified, nonfat cow's milk has 382 mg of potassium. An 8-oz. serving of plain soy milk has around 300 mg of potassium.
Potassium Recommendations
Your need for potassium varies depending on age and other factors. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the AI for adults age 19 and older is 4,700 mg of potassium a day. Pregnant women also require 4,700 mg of potassium. Nursing mothers need slightly more potassium -- 5,100 mg a day.
Better Sources
Rice milk contributes to your daily potassium intake, albeit nominally. For potassium-rich foods, look to fruits and vegetables first. MayoClinic.com cites other foods that are rich in potassium. A cup of cooked acorn squash gives you almost 900 mg of potassium. A baked potato, including its skin, gives you almost 850 mg of potassium, and a cup of cooked spinach gives you around 840 mg. Other dietary sources of this mineral include dried beans and peas --- lentils, kidney beans, lima beans and split peas --- and fruits such as raisins, prunes, watermelon and bananas.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Potassium; May 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Potassium; J. Higdon, Ph.D.; February 2004
- USDA National Nutrition Database: Rice Milk; Fortified Nonfat Milk; Plain SILK Soy Milk
- TasteTheDream.com: Rice Milk Original
- MayoClinic.com; Potassium (Oral Route, Parenteral Route); November 2010
- MedlinePlus: Fluids and Electrolyte Balance
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