Potassium permanganate is not used as a nutritional supplement or a drug. You are most likely to encounter it in a chemistry lab or if you work in a water treatment plant or as a prop technician in films. Exercising appropriate caution is...
Digoxin is a medicine used to treat certain heart conditions. It can be used to treat congestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart muscle is weak and unable to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. Digoxin can also be used to...
Toxic levels of potassium, a condition referred to as hyperkalemia, occur when the potassium levels in the blood become higher than normal. Blood potassium levels normally range between 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L. Blood potassium levels higher than 6.0...
Potassium is a type of essential mineral known as an electrolyte that conducts electricity through your body. Potassium maintains the body's chemical and electrical processes, including metabolizing carbohydrates, synthesizing amino acids into...
Potassium poisoning or toxicity occurs when your blood potassium levels are higher than what your doctor considers normal and safe. The condition of hyperkalemia occurs when your serum potassium is higher than the healthy range of 3.6 to 4.8...
The body needs potassium to maintain fluid balance in cells, for the function of nerves and muscles and as a necessary component of numerous chemical reactions in the body. Potassium chloride, available only by prescription, is a medication made...
Potassium is a mineral and an electrolyte that is important to the proper functioning of your body. Potassium plays a major role in regulating water and acid-base balance, in creating energy, and in normal growth. Therefore, it is a vital part of...
Potassium is necessary for proper heart function, muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission and metabolism. Although you need a certain amount of potassium for good health, you can consume too much potassium if you take high doses of...
Although potassium is a mineral your body needs every day, getting too much of this nutrient can be dangerous to your health. Potassium poisoning -- more commonly referred to as potassium toxicity or hyperkalemia -- occurs when your blood...
You can’t survive without potassium, but consuming too much of it isn’t just dangerous, it’s potentially deadly. Potassium toxicity occurs when you consume more potassium than your body can excrete. Obtaining the recommended...
Too much potassium causes a condition known as hyperkalemia, which can result in serious side effects. Normally, blood potassium levels are between 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter. Levels that exceed 6.0 milliequivalents per liter require...
Potassium facilitates muscle function, which allows your body to move and your digestive system to get rid of waste through peristalsis. The mineral also makes it possible for your heart to pump blood. Atenolol is a drug for high blood pressure....
Bananas are one of the best sources of dietary potassium. A large banana provides 487 mg of this mineral, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database. Because your daily requirement for potassium is 4,700 mg, you...
You don't want to be deficient in potassium. On the other hand, too much of it can be toxic. In the quest for optimal health, a person who pops potassium supplements like jellybeans may suffer consequences ranging in from life threatening, such as...
You really shouldn't "take" any potassium daily, at least not in the form of supplements, unless instructed to do so by your health care provider. A tendency exists to regard vitamins and minerals as relatively innocuous in terms of adverse health...
Potassium is considered a major mineral, as well as an electrolyte. Tight control of potassium concentration both inside and outside the cells is required to maintain homeostasis. Potassium plays a vital role in maintaining fluid and electrolyte...
As an electrolyte and essential mineral, potassium helps maintain the structural integrity of your cells, which is crucial for proper heart function, nerve signal transmission and muscle contraction. The amount of potassium you need each day...
Potassium is an important mineral found in fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans and nuts. It plays several roles, but is most commonly known for its function as an electrolyte. While important, excessive potassium in the body causes a condition...
Consuming extremely high levels of potassium can be dangerous. Having too much potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia. Levels of potassium between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L are normal, and those above 6 mEq/L are dangerously high, according to the...
Potassium is a macromineral, meaning you need to ingest large amounts each day for normal functions. Minerals are inorganic substances that originate from soil and water. While you should get enough potassium from your diet, having absorption...
Potassium is the major ion present in the intracellular fluid. Along with sodium, it is needed to maintain water balance, osmotic equilibrium and acid-base balance. Along with calcium, it is important in the regulation of neuromuscular activity....
The amount of potassium you take in through the foods you consume can change the potassium levels in your body. While potassium supplements or disorders that cause potassium depletion can also alter your body’s levels of this mineral, your...
From the time you are born to the time you reach adolescence, your need for potassium grows. Potassium is an electrolyte, and along with sodium, as the Linus Pauling Institute explains, it helps maintain an electrochemical gradient between the...
Potassium is a mineral used by your body to support numerous cellular functions. According to "Potassium Nutrition: In Heart Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, Diabetes, and Metabolic Shock," a healthy adult will typically have approximately 120...
You need some potassium for good health. This mineral is used for heart function, muscle contraction, nerve impulses, digestion and metabolism. Potassium is also an electrolyte, and as such helps to conduct electricity within the body. However, it...
In the appropriate amounts derived from dietary sources, potassium isn't harmful. In fact, your body requires it. However, that doesn't grant you license to consume limitless amounts of this essential mineral. Taking higher-than-normal dosages of...
If your body is low in potassium, you may be diagnosed with hypokalemia. Potassium levels normally fall between 3.6 and 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L, according to Mayo Clinic. Hypokalemia can be particularly dire when potassium levels...
Potassium is a mineral that is present in all cellular fluid within the body. It is an electrolyte that is also useful in nerve transmission and is vital to the function of the heart along with many other organs. Though it is prevalent in many...
Lentils are seeds that grow in pods and are shaped like flat disks. Lentils are used as an ingredient in soups, stews, salads, casseroles and side dishes. These seeds are high in protein, fiber, carbohydrates and potassium. However, consuming too...