Normally, you get all of the potassium your body needs each day from the foods you consume. If your serum potassium levels fall below what is healthy, however, your doctor will likely prescribe potassium supplements. She will also talk to you...
High potassium levels, or hyperkalemia, can be a life-threatening medical condition if left unchecked. Potassium is a positive ion that drives the electrical potential of excitable cells in the body. High levels of potassium make these cells in...
Triamterene is a diuretic (water pill) used to treat high blood pressure, edema and congestive heart failure. Diuretics rid the body of excess fluid. Most diuretics also cause a loss of sodium and potassium. Triamterene is a potassium-sparing...
A common food additive, potassium chloride is used by manufacturers as a flavor enhancer and salt substitute. It may be a healthy alternative to salt, particularly if you have an underlying disorder, such as high blood pressure. However, if you...
Potassium chloride, a salt substitute, simulates sodium chloride or salt to add flavor to food. As with any chemical ingested in significant quantities, use of potassium chloride in large amounts creates medical risks, but potassium chloride is...
Lotrel, a medication designed to control high blood pressure, contains a calcium channel blocker and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, also called an ACE inhibitor. Both substances affect the way your body responds to potassium. Some...
Potassium citrate is a colorless, transparent crystal or white powder that has many uses. Because it reduces the acidity in urine, it may be effective in preventing kidney stones. In soft drinks and other foods, potassium citrate is added as a...
Potassium is a dietary mineral essential to human life. Potassium is necessary for maintaining electrolyte balance in the body and helping nerve and muscle cells work properly. But too much potassium can be toxic and result in serious health...
A high potassium level may indicate that you have a condition called hyperkalemia, according to MayoClinic.Com. Most cases of high potassium are caused by a disorder of the kidneys, affecting their ability to get rid of excess potassium. An...
The body's cells, particularly those in the muscles and nerves, need proper concentrations of charged minerals. These minerals, including potassium, are called electrolytes. If potassium levels rise too high, you can experience muscle and nerve...
Potassium is a mineral that acts as an electrolyte in your body. Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity within your fluids and tissues. Physical stress that creates prolonged or excessive sweating, such as strenuous exercise, can...
Proper potassium levels in the blood and within the cells might mean the difference between life and death. An imbalance of this electrolyte may cause harmful symptoms, including heart arrhythmias. Certain disease processes and drugs can cause an...
Potassium is the most prevalent electrolyte inside your cells and is required for a number of body functions. Being an electrolyte means potassium conducts electricity. Your body relies on potassium to conduct electrical impulses for your nerves...
Phosphorus is an essential mineral responsible for up to 1 percent of your total body weight. Phosphorus aids in the formation of bones and teeth along with calcium, and is involved in cellular energy in the body. This mineral plays a major role...
Potassium is an essential mineral that serves as an electrolyte in your cells and tissues. An electrolyte is a compound that breaks apart to form electrically-charged ions in a solution such as your bloodstream or the cytoplasm inside your cells....
Potassium is one of the major electrolytes in your blood. An electrolyte is a molecule that conducts electricity. Potassium is critical to your heart muscle and plays a major role in all muscular function and digestion. Your kidneys regulate he...
The body needs potassium along with the other electrolytes sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride to function properly. Potassium in particular is crucial to heart and digestive function and muscle contractions. Having either too much or too...
Depending on your age and health status, your body needs between 400 and 5,100 mg of potassium each day, according to Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. If your blood potassium levels rise above 6.0 milliequivalents per liter or...
Potassium is an essential component of our diet, required for normal metabolic activity of the body. Due to its electrolytic properties, it's an essential mineral for the functioning of the heart, kidneys and muscles. But too much or not enough...
Potassium has a number of functions in the body, including keeping the heart, cells and muscles functioning properly. Adequate dietary intake of potassium may also lower the risk of developing certain health conditions, such as osteoporosis....
Hyperkalemia is the medical term for high levels of potassium in the blood. Potassium is one of the electrolytes your body uses to maintain the normal functions of its chemical and electrical processes. Potassium is found in the body's cells. Your...
According to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, potassium is necessary for nerve and muscle cells to function properly. Causes of low potassium levels include antibiotics, diuretics, diarrhea, eating disorders, sweating,...
Potassium is a vital nutrient and electrolyte your body needs to maintain a variety of functions, such as muscle contraction. Typically, people maintain healthy blood levels of potassium by eating foods rich in this nutrient, including bananas,...
The condition characterized by high levels of potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia. Most potassium in the body is located in the cells and organs, not in the bloodstream. Potassium is an essential nutrient that aids in proper function of...
Hair loss can result from age, heredity, poor nutrition and scalp problems. Although not all hair loss can be reversed, getting an adequate amount of nutrients in your diet helps care for the hair you have and might stimulate regrowth. Noni is a...
Taking a potassium supplement can be helpful if a potassium deficiency is affecting your health. A potassium deficiency can occur if you are taking certain medications or don't get enough potassium in your diet. Most healthy people get adequate...
Patients who take certain medications may be at risk of developing hyperkalemia, a condition of high potassium in the blood. Although rare, excessive amounts of potassium in the bloodstream can lead to heart complications and sudden death....
Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources, but fish, meat and nuts also provide potassium. Getting plenty of this essential nutrient through your diet may improve your health. However, some...
Potassium is a mineral your body uses to perform nerve and muscle functions, such as keeping your heart beating. If you do not have enough potassium, you can experience a condition known as hypokalemia, which can have severe effects on your heart...
