Why You Need Potassium and How to Get It
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 24, 2019
- 3 min read
What Is It?
Potassium is a mineral needed for normal body and cell functioning. Nerves, muscles and heart won’t work properly if there is a deficiency in potassium.
How Much Do You Need?
People 14 years old and older need to have 4700 milligrams daily and breastfeeding women need 5100 milligram.
For children:
0 to 6 months: 400 milligrams7 to 12 months: 700 milligrams1 to 3 years: 3,000 milligrams4 to 8 years: 3,800 milligrams9 to 13 years: 4,500 milligrams
Helps with Osteoporosis
Bones tend to get brittle as we age. A diet high in meat and dairy increase acidity in the body which weaken bones faster. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can slow it as it is high in potassium.
Helps Prevent Kidney Stones
Meat rich diet increase acidity in the body which increased risk of kidney stones and they hut you if they become stuck. Potassium helps get rid of acid, which keeps those minerals where they belong (in your bones) and prevents those painful stones.
Helps Your Muscles Work
Potassium is founded inside cells while sodium outside cells which is important for normal muscles working. An imbalance of minerals could lead to weak or squeeze muscles.
Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure
Hypertension has been linked to stroke, heart disease, and heart failure. It is known as silent killer as it occurs without symptoms. The sodium in salt makes it worse, but potassium can help you get rid of sodium and ease tension in the walls of your blood vessels.
Helps Prevent Strokes
Limited blood flow to brain leads to stroke. High blood pressure leads to stroke. Signs of a stroke include slurred speech, arm weakness, or drooping on one side of your face. If you have any of these, get medical help right away. Adequate amount of potassium is needed in order to prevent stroke and blood pressure.
Source: Bananas
A single medium banana has 422 milligrams of potassium. Don’t soak or cook bananas as they lost their potassium. You can enjoy them as snack, with toast or post-workout snack.
Source: Potatoes
A medium potato baked with skin has a whopping 926 milligrams of potassium. Enjoy baked potatoes and avoid adding butter or extra sauces to keep it healthy food.
Source: Prunes
A half cup of dried prunes has 637 milligrams of potassium, and loads of fiber as well. (If you’d rather drink your prunes, 6 ounces of juice has almost as much.) You can enjoy them with nuts and cheese.
Source: Oranges
A medium orange should get you about 237 milligrams of potassium, and 6 ounces of juice delivers about 372 milligrams. They are healthy and rich in several vitamins and minerals.
Source: Tomatoes
A medium tomato has about 292 milligrams, but how often do you eat a whole tomato? Try some pasta marinara to get a good amount: A cup of tomato puree has 1,065 milligrams, and a cup of tomato paste has 2,455 milligrams: more than half your daily allowance.
Source: Lima Beans
They’re loaded with fiber, low in sugar and fat, and they have 485 milligrams of potassium in each half cup. You can soak them overnight to make them easier to digest. You can buy frozen or canned if you don’t have enough time to soak them.
Source: Sunflower Seeds
These have 241 milligrams per ounce and they're full of other vitamins and nutrients as well.
Supplements
It is better to take potassium from food but you may need supplements in case you have illness or you are taking certain medications. Be careful about high doses as this can lead to nausea, vomiting, stomach-aches, diarrhoea, and ulcers. Ask your doctor if you need a potassium supplement.
Lack of Potassium (Hypokalaemia)
Low level of potassium may result in weak muscles, cramps, constipation and it is possible to have hypokalaemia. You also might have cramps or constipation. It’s possible to have hypokalaemia because you don’t get enough potassium in your diet, but it’s more likely to happen because of severe vomiting or diarrhoea, overuse of diuretics or laxatives, or alcohol abuse.
Too Much Potassium (Hyperkalaemia)
Infants, the elderly, and people who have kidney conditions are more likely to have this. You may not notice any symptoms, or your muscles might be weak and you might have an irregular heartbeat or nausea. You can get hyperkalaemia if you take certain drugs or your body doesn’t make enough of some hormones. Your doctor may treat it with medication or possibly dialysis in order to clean your blood.
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