Benefits of Potassium (“K”) – Where The K Stands For “The King of All Electrolytes!!!”

What is it – Benefits – Sources

Today we will learn about the make it or break it mineral, Potassium.

Benefits of Potassium, What Are They?

Benefits of Potassium. On the surface, Potassium seems like just another mineral found abundantly on our planet which must be consumed by us. Our bodies lack the capacity to manufacture it. Potassium is in fact a major intracellular element, referred to as a cation, because it carries a positive charge.

Further, due to its involvement in many of our metabolic functions, it has to be abundant and readily available for use in our body. Like other electrolytes, Potassium works very closely with sodium, magnesium, and calcium to regulate our bodies’ fluid balance. Our bodies work constantly to maintain the correct balance of Potassium using the sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphate pump to transport sodium out of the cells and potassium into the cells thereby keeping normal pH and fluid balance. This function is critical for maintaining our health and energy. Therefore, a diet rich in Potassium is important.

Potassium rich diets have been associated with a lower risk of various cancers and heart disease. We will mention the highlights of some of those studies.

A study was done, looking at people with a history of colonic adenomas and how a high potassium diet would affect them. Two groups of people, both high risk for colon cancer were studied over a one-year period. The group assigned the high potassium diet (defined as 12 servings of vegetables and fruits daily) seemed to have many benefits.

These participants improved their gastrointestinal function and managed to regulate their bowel movements, avoiding constipation, bloating, and abdominal discomfort. They reported less fatigue and more energy. Most participants saw improvements in their cholesterol levels and thus lowered their risk of heart disease and stroke. The study also did suggest a preventative benefit in terms of colon cancer. In the end, the benefits of a diet high in potassium were demonstrated.

Be Still My Beating Heart

Since potassium is a major electrolyte in our body, it’s not surprising that it plays a key part in how cells communicate and how they regulate the function of various muscle and nerve cells. One such muscle is of course the cardiac or heart muscle. Potassium is critical for heartbeat regulation and low potassium levels can affect our heart rhythm dramatically, with changes seen on electrocardiogram (EKG) tests.

It’s not just our heart muscle that depends on Potassium, our skeletal muscles also depend on this mineral to function properly. Therefore, when there is a Potassium deficiency, we can experience muscle pain, weakness, and even muscle cramping. At severely low levels of Potassium, muscle paralysis can be observed and can affect the muscles responsible for breathing. Luckily, this is not common.

Low Potassium also affects the muscles in our gut which are responsible for movement of food through our gastrointestinal tract.

Getting Enough Potassium in Our Diet

Now that we know how fantastic Potassium can make us feel, let’s see how we can obtain enough of it. As you may have suspected, fruits and vegetables are going to be your best source.

TIP: Look for foods that contain more than 400 mg in every ½ cup.

These foods will likely be low calorie and high yield with respect to Potassium.

Look for vegetables such as avocados, yams, butternut squash, potatoes, swiss chard, and cooked spinach.

Other foods high in potassium- about 250 mg per half cup, include coconut milk, coconut water, quinoa, lentils, and granola.

The fruits and vegetables included in this category are nectarines, guavas, plantains, beets, tomatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, cherries, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, mangoes, oranges, and plums. The possibilities go on and on. This list should get you started!!

You can also refer to the Potassium blog post or visit Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for fun info-graphics.

This being such a crucial mineral for our health, it’s worthwhile to know what conditions can predispose you to low Potassium levels.

Here is short and sweet list of some of the many conditions:

Uncontrolled asthma: Why you ask? Well, if you are constantly having to use your rescue inhaler, such as albuterol, it may cause your body to shift Potassium into your cells, leaving less of it available to perform its magic.
Vomiting and diarrhea: This one is a common cause of hypokalemia (low serum Potassium). In the process of vomiting we may lose Potassium contained in your gastric contents, if food moves too quickly through the gastrointestinal tract, which happens when we have diarrhea, there will be more Potassium loss than intake.
Uncontrolled insulin dependent diabetes: Here’s how: If blood sugar levels are too high, more units of insulin are used.Insulin causes Potassium shifts in the body making less of it available for metabolic functions.
Hypothermia: If severe, this often accidentally induced condition can lower our available serum Potassium levels.
Eating meat. Yes! The suffering factory farmed animals are exposed to growth hormones and beta-adrenergic agonist, more commonly known as Albuterol, the asthma medication. This cruel practice is meant to cause unnatural, rapid crippling weight gain in the victim animal. When we eat the dead flesh of this sacrificed animal, this chemical causes Potassium levels in our bodies to shift into cells, making them unable to help our heart, muscles, nervous system, and electrolytes. The result is chronic, under the radar symptoms we cannot diagnose.

There are many conditions that can cause Potassium levels to become too low or too high.

Both conditions should be addressed by your health care provider.

Here are some guidelines for HEALTHY people and can help in planning your dietary intake.

These guidelines cannot work for those with medical conditions that affect how potassium is distributed and excreted from the body; and may be too much or too little potassium for you.

Having said that, here are the general guidelines:

Adult women and pregnant women 14 years and up require 4.7 grams/day.
Lactating women require 5.1 grams/day.
Females between ages 9 and 13 need 4.5 grams/day.
Males older than 14 need 4.7 grams/day.
Boys between 9 and 13 require 4.5 grams/day.
Children between 1 and 3 require 3 grams/day.
Children between 4 and 8 require 3.8 grams/day.

In the final analysis, unless you’ve been instructed by your doctor to restrict your potassium intake, a potassium rich diet will be the key between feeling your best or being riddled with medical conditions and complaints.

Remember, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!! and now that if you know better you will live better.