What Does Potassium Do For The Body – Food is a unique combination of different micro and macronutrients that are important for the human body. All these micro and macro nutrients work together to keep us alive and healthy.
Along with the development in every industry in the world, the fitness and health industry has also evolved in the last few years. Nowadays, we know a lot about these micros and macronutrients to keep our bodies healthy.
You might have heard on different social media platforms about macronutrients, such as fats, protein, carbs, and fiber. Your knowledge should not stick there, and you should also focus on different micronutrients, including potassium.
Potassium is among the most important micronutrients for our body, and we are here to help you understand what potassium does for the body. Let’s take a look at all about potassium so that you can include it in your diet as early as possible.
What does Potassium do for the Human Body?
Potassium is an electrolyte mineral found in food items that we consume regularly. It is an important part of the list of micronutrients humans require regularly for good functioning.
Electrolytes are known to conduct electrical impulses throughout the body, and they also assist in a wide range of essential body functions. Lack of potassium is also known to invite a huge number of diseases, including blood pressure, digestion, and heart rhythm.
Most adults in the United States do not consume enough potassium regularly. It is also one of the most common deficiencies in Western countries. Different public health organizations recommend at least 3500 milligrams per day consumption of potassium.
What are the Benefits of Consuming Potassium?
Potassium is one of the 7 important microminerals for the body. It is also known to have a huge number of benefits for the human body. You might not know, but potassium is also known to play a vital role in the function of kidneys.
Let’s take a look at some of the important benefits of potassium and how you can use it for your Growth and healthy lifestyle.
Cardiovascular Health
Potassium is one of the important micronutrients which is known to improve our cardiovascular health. Several studies have claimed that adequate consumption of potassium may even prevent situations like high blood pressure and stroke.
Everyone will have to manage their salt intake to get the benefits like good cardiovascular health. People who increase their potassium consumption and lower their sodium intake have less risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Retain Muscle Mass
Potassium is also known to play a major role in bone health and muscle mass. Studies have already proved that people with a high intake of potassium-rich food items, including vegetables and fruits, have higher bone mineral density.
You will have to consume other food items rich in other micro and macronutrients to maintain muscle mass and bone density. Still, healthcare experts have been suggesting a diet high in potassium 2 older people and people with weak health conditions to maintain their Muscle mass.
kidney Functioning
One of the biggest benefits of potassium consumption is a healthy kidney. Low levels of potassium in the body are also known to impact the ability of the kidney to absorb calcium. High calcium levels in the kidneys may also result in kidney stones, and everyone should prevent them as kidney stones can become chronic.
Even if you are struggling with any kidney disease or kidney stones, we do not recommend you consume a high amount of potassium in just one day. You should always consult the right amount of potassium you should be consuming with your healthcare provider and dietitian.
Better Nervous System
Potassium is also known to improve the human nervous system. There is a unique connection between sodium ions and potassium ions when it comes to delivering any message from the brain to any part of the body.
The drop in potassium levels in the body can also result in the body’s ability to generate a nerve impulse. Healthcare experts recommend a potassium-rich diet to people who are struggling with any disease related to the nervous system.
How to add Potassium to Your Diet?
You have already understood all the benefits of potassium, and now we have to discuss how you can easily add potassium to your diet.
As we have already discussed, western diets and people in Western countries usually have potassium deficiency due to their diet culture. That is why you should learn all about your diet and the sources of potassium.
- First of all, you can include fresh fruits in your diet, including apricots, oranges, Kiwis, bananas, and pineapple. All these fresh fruits are known to be rich in potassium. If you cannot eat all these fruits, we highly recommend you include bananas or Kiwis in your diet.
- Secondly, several green vegetables, including leafy green vegetables, potatoes, and carrots, are also rich in potassium. You can eat these vegetables raw or add them to your salad.
- Whole-grain food items are also very rich in potassium, and you can include them in your diet through whole-grain bread, pasta, and other items.
- Several beans and nuts are also rich in potassium.
These are some of the most common food items and categories that can help you include potassium in your diet. Kindly remember there are several side effects of consuming potassium.
If you are creating a new diet that completely focuses on high levels of potassium, you should make sure you are consulting with your healthcare provider.
Baked sweet potatoes and avocado are both known to have more than 450 milligrams of potassium in each 100-gram serving. You can also include one serving of banana along with spinach to get extra 900 milligrams of potassium.
Lastly, there are several potassium supplements available in the market, and you can also use them effectively. We do not recommend anyone start consuming potassium supplements without consulting with their healthcare provider.
It is very easy to consume high levels of potassium with little effort with the help of potassium supplements. You should not include potassium supplements in your diet without consulting with your dietitian or healthcare provider.
Are there any Side Effects of Consuming Potassium?
Similar to any other good thing in the world, potassium also has several side effects. Excess of anything in the world is bad. For example, protein and carbs are 2 of the most important micronutrients for human life.
If you start eating those macronutrients without any checkpoints, there is a high probability that you will get fat or develop any disease. Similar principles also apply to potassium.
People who are struggling with kidney disease should not take a potassium-rich diet. Healthy kidneys are capable of removing excess potassium from the body, but The story for people with kidney diseases might be a little bit different.
Don’t worry. Potassium overdose is not possible in people who focus on a balanced diet. Several risk factors are known to enhance your chances of potassium overdose, including:
- All kidney diseases
- Prolonged exercise
- Too many potassium supplements
- Cocaine overuse
- Diabetes
- Severe burns
- Chemotherapy
Make sure you are discussing the right amount of potassium for yourself when you create a potassium-rich diet. If there are a huge number of benefits to consuming a high-potassium diet, there are several risks as well.
Drug Interactions with Potassium
Healthcare experts also warn everyone who is taking medicine to know to increase their potassium consumption without consulting with their healthcare provider.
People who are already struggling with diseases like type 2 diabetes and kidney or heart diseases are more vulnerable to developing high levels of potassium in a short period.
Several medicines are known to impact the ability of the kidney to flush out any excess potassium. This can later result in potassium build-up and Cause further complications.
There are several benefits of potassium as well, but you should not increase potassium levels in your diet without consulting with your healthcare provider.
How much is potassium safe to eat per day?
There is no fixed amount of potassium one should be consuming every day. The number can be a little bit higher or lower depending on each person, their medical conditions, Etc. Health organizations in the United States recommend 4700 milligrams of potassium per day, while the recommended amount is 3500 milligrams in the United Kingdom.
