Potassium has many health benefits, including the ability to lower blood pressure, according to Harvard Medical School. High blood pressure is a definitive risk factor for heart attack and stroke. A dietary intake of 4.7 gm (4700 mg) or higher can reduce blood pressure, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Drinking beverages rich in potassium can help.
Fruit Juice
Many types of fruit contain 250 mg or more potassium per serving, making fruit juice a good source of potassium. You can buy juices in bottles or in frozen concentrate. Be sure to choose the pure juice brands rather than those called "fruit drinks," which might contain sugar or corn syrup. You also can use a blender or juicer to make juice from potassium-rich fruits. One cup of grape juice has about 330 mg of potassium, as listed by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), while one cup of orange juice has nearly 500 mg. Other potassium-rich fruits include apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, grapefruit, honeydew melons, kiwi fruit, mangoes, nectarines, passion fruit and prunes.
Vegetable Juice
Drinking vegetable juice will also add potassium to your diet. Popular vegetables for juicing include raw, chopped spinach, with 154 mg of potassium per one-half cup, and tomatoes (though technically a fruit), with 250 to 270 mg per medium-size tomato. Other potassium-rich vegetables good for juicing include Swiss chard, turnip greens, collard greens, beet greens, kale, carrots and celery. Commercial vegetable juices are available as well. When buying these products, choose those with no added sodium or low-sodium, because sodium is associated with increasing blood pressure.
Milk and Coffee
Milk is another good drink for lowering blood pressure, with 370 mg of potassium per cup of whole milk and 410 mg per cup of skim milk. Additionally, 6 oz. of brewed coffee contains 124 mg of potassium, as noted by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Drinking decaffeinated coffee is better for lowering blood pressure, because caffeine can have the opposite effect.
