Potassium, an important electrolyte, is required for the proper functioning of every cell, tissue and organ in your body. Some of the important roles of potassium include aiding in the regulation of the body’s acid-base balance, assisting in the synthesis of proteins, promoting normal body growth and maintaining normal electrical activity across your heart. One of the many natural sources of potassium in your diet is chicken breast.
Potassium Recommendations
The recommended daily intake of potassium set by the Food and Nutrition Center at the Institute of Medicine varies by age -- infants from newborn to 6 months need 0.4 grams per day. Infants 7 to 12 months old need 0.7 grams per day. Children ages 1 to 3 years need 3 grams per day. Children ages 4 to 8 years need 3.8 grams per day. Children ages 9 to 13 years of age need 4.5 grams per day. Most people over the age of 14 need 4.7 grams per day. Lactating women need as much as 5.1 grams of potassium each day. Your exact needs may vary from these recommendations, making it important to talk to you doctor about you specific potassium needs.
Skinless Chicken Breast
The amount of potassium in chicken breast varies based on how it is prepared. Half of a roasted chicken breast without its skin contains 220 milligrams of potassium. When you eat half of a chicken breast fried in a batter, you consume 237 milligrams of potassium if you take off the skin. Because chicken breasts vary in size, the standard reference for half a chicken breast is 3 ounces of meat, or approximately 90 grams; visually this is about the size of a deck of cards.
Skin-On Chicken Breast
Leaving a chicken breast's skin on boosts the potassium slightly. Half of a roasted chicken breast with its skin contains 240 milligrams of potassium, 20 milligrams more than the same chicken breast without the skin. When you eat half of a chicken breast fried in a batter, you consume 281 milligrams of potassium if you don’t take off the skin, or 44 milligrams more than the skinless version.
Sliced Roasted Chicken Breast
If you prefer fat-free, oven-roasted chicken breast sliced for a sandwich, you only get 28 milligrams of potassium for every two slices you eat. This is assuming the chicken breast is sliced to provide you with 42 grams, about 1.4 ounces, of meat.
Other Sources of Potassium
Besides chicken, other good sources of potassium include red meat, salmon, sardines, cod, flounder, soy products, lima beans, tomatoes, peas, broccoli, potatoes with the skin, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, bananas and dried apricots. Excellent sources of potassium include milk, yogurt and nuts.
Potassium Precautions
Serious health consequences result when your blood levels of potassium become too low or too high. Hypokalemia, or low potassium levels, is rare due to the number of foods that contain potassium. However, hypokalemia may affect people with diseases that cause the kidneys to retain potassium; people who take diuretics, steroids or laxatives; and people who suffer from severe diarrhea or vomiting. Hyperkalemia, or too much potassium in the blood, results when the kidneys cannot excrete sufficient amounts of potassium. Common causes of hyperkalemia include extreme tissue damage, kidney failure, ureter blockages, excess intake of potassium in the presence of kidney disease, the use of potassium supplements and the use of potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitors.
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