Potassium In Multivitamins

Potassium is a mineral found in a variety of foods. It can also be commercially manufactured as a nutritional supplement and included in many different types of multivitamins. As an essential nutrient, potassium has many benefits; however, too much potassium may cause side effects. Talk with your doctor about potassium supplements and multivitamins to make sure you are getting the right amount of this essential mineral to suit your daily needs.

Forms of Potassium

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, potassium is available in several different forms including potassium chloride, citrate, gluconate, bicarbonate, aspartate and orotate. Multivitamin supplements marketed in the U.S. contain a small percentage of your daily potassium requirements. This is primarily due to the fact that potassium is found in such a wide variety of foods -- additional supplementation is largely only necessary to treat certain health conditions under the supervision of your doctor.

Potential Benefits

The University of Maryland Medical Center states that potassium is an important mineral for the health and maintenance of every cell, tissue and organ in your body and interacts with other minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, to maintain electrolyte balance. Potassium may play an important role in bone health, treating high blood pressure and inflammatory bowel disease, reducing the risk of having a stroke and preventing hypokalemia, or a potassium deficiency.

Side Effects

According to the PubMed Health, high doses of potassium may cause some adverse health effects. It is not uncommon to experience an upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea if you consume too much potassium. More serious adverse effects include mental confusion, listlessness, tingling, prickling, burning, tight or pulling sensation in your limbs, heaviness or weakness in your legs, cold, pale and gray skin, unusual stomach bulging and black stools. Excessive potassium intake may also cause interactions with certain medications, so discuss use with a doctor.

Recommendations

The Linus Pauling Institute states that most multivitamins in the U.S. contain no more than 99 mg of potassium per serving, which is well below the adequate intake for potassium. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine states that adults require about 4.7 g, or 4,700 mg, of potassium per day, which should be largely acquired through whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Only use potassium supplements in high doses under the direct supervision of your physician.