If you're wondering, "What is the Potassium mineral in the body?" read on. We'll review its health Benefits, side Effects, and signs of deficiency. You'll be surprised at just how vital potassium is to the human body. After reading this article, you'll be well on your way to having a healthier body! Take a moment to learn about potassium's benefits and side effects, and then make sure to add more of it to your diet.
What is Potassium?
Besides regulating fluid balance in the body, potassium is essential for heart and kidney function. It also helps muscles contract and nerve signals travel across the cell membranes. The mineral helps preserve bone density and maintains healthy blood pressure levels.
Average serum potassium concentrations range from 3.5 to 5 mmol/L. When serum potassium levels fall below 2.5 mmol/L, you may be suffering from a potassium deficiency disorder called hypokalemia. This condition can lead to exhaustion, weakness, muscle soreness, digestive issues, and even partial paralysis of specific muscles. In extreme cases, people may experience breathing difficulties.
While most people know how important potassium is for cellular and electrical function, most of us do not know much about the role of potassium. It is one of the main blood minerals called electrolytes. Potassium is a primary positive ion in every cell in the body. The sodium and potassium levels in serum are similar, but red blood cells contain more potassium than the serum. When looking for a potassium supplement, make sure it is made from pure potassium.
Health Benefits of Potassium
The mineral potassium is essential to human health. It regulates body fluid levels, aids nerve transmission, and supports heart and kidney functions. It also plays a vital role in bone density. Despite this, many people do not get enough potassium in their diets, which is why potassium supplements are essential.
Potassium is found in cells throughout the body. It's located in 80 percent of muscle cells and 20 percent in bone tissue, liver, and red blood cells. Potassium helps facilitate various bodily functions by acting as an electrolyte. It splits into either positive or negative ions in water, enabling smooth nerve signal transmission. Potassium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body.
Consuming potassium-rich foods may help improve blood pressure and relieve anxiety. In addition, potassium may prevent heart disease, reduce stress, improve memory, and prevent certain types of cancer. It also helps with muscle contractions. The benefits of potassium are numerous, but some might be limited.
Research has shown that high levels of potassium promote brain function. More oxygen can reach the brain when blood potassium levels are high. Higher potassium levels also increase neural activity and improve cognitive function. It is no wonder that bananas are often called brain food. Apart from stimulating cell growth, potassium also provides metabolic energy for the body. Without potassium, muscular health would suffer. Without potassium, muscles would not contract and relax. Without potassium, the exercise would be impossible.
Side Effects
High potassium intake may lower blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Consuming more potassium-rich foods may reduce the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. However, people taking potassium supplements may experience dangerously high potassium levels in their bodies. High potassium levels can also increase the risk of chronic inflammation, which is linked with many diseases, including cardiac arrest and arrhythmias.
Signs of Deficiency
Low blood potassium levels can cause various symptoms, including weakness, palpitations, and muscle cramps. Some people may feel faint after taking a diuretic. Blood tests can identify low potassium levels. Blood tests for potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and digoxin can also specify a deficiency. A doctor can also recommend a potassium supplement to treat a mild potassium deficiency.
An abnormal heartbeat is a sign of a potassium deficiency. Hypokalemia, which leads to an irregular heartbeat, can be life-threatening. While the symptoms of potassium deficiency may be vague, they can indicate another mineral or electrolyte deficiency. Potassium is essential to the proper functioning of the heart and regulates electrical impulses in the heart. If potassium is missing in the body, irregular heartbeats can lead to cardiac arrest.
Potassium is not conserved in the body, so when the body lacks potassium, it continues to excrete it in the urine. Some causes of low potassium levels include diabetes, prolonged use of cortisone medications, and diarrhea. Excessive perspiration and diarrhea can also cause low potassium levels. Potassium deficiency can signify a more serious underlying health problem even in healthy people.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it's probably time to add potassium to your diet. A potassium-rich diet can reduce the chances of kidney stones. In addition to lowering the risk of kidney stones, potassium is an essential nutrient for blood pressure and heart health. People with higher potassium intakes have lower blood pressure, which is related to a lower risk of hypertension. Potassium acts as a vasodilator, which reduces the tension of blood vessels. A lack of potassium in the body can also increase the risk of stroke.
Nutrition Source of Potassium
Potassium is found in various foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats, poultry, and fish.
- Apricots, dried, ½ cup: 755mg - 16% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Lentils, cooked, one cup: 731mg - 16% of the DV
- Squash, acorn, mashed, one cup: 644mg - 14% of the DV
- Prunes, dried, ½ cup: 635mg - 14% of the DV
- Raisins, ½ cup: 618mg - 13% of the DV
- Potato, baked, flesh only, one medium: 610mg - 13% of the DV
- Kidney beans, canned, one cup: 607mg - 13% of the DV
- Orange juice, one cup: 496mg - 11% of the DV
- Soybeans, mature seeds, boiled, ½ cup: 443mg - 9% of the DV
- Banana, one medium: 422mg - 9% of the DV
- Milk, 1%, one cup: 366mg - 8% of the DV
- Spinach, raw, two cups: 334mg - 7% of the DV
- Chicken breast, boneless, grilled, three ounces: 332mg - 7% of the DV
- Yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat, six ounces: 330mg - 7% of the DV
- Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, three ounces: 326mg - 7% of the DV
- Beef, top sirloin, grilled, three ounces: 315mg - 7% of the DV
- Molasses, one tablespoon: 308mg - 7% of the DV
- Tomato, raw, one medium: 292mg - 6% of the DV
- Soymilk, one cup: 287mg - 6% of the DV
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat, six ounces: 240mg - 5% of the DV
- Broccoli, cooked, chopped, ½ cup: 229mg - 5% of the DV
- Cantaloupe, cubed, ½ cup: 214mg - 5% of the DV
- Turkey breast, roasted, three ounces: 212mg - 5% of the DV
- Asparagus, cooked, ½ cup: 202mg - 4% of the DV
- Apple, with skin, one medium: 195mg - 4% of the DV
- Cashew nuts, one ounce: 187mg - 4% of the DV
- Rice, brown, medium-grain, cooked, one cup: 154mg - 3% of the DV
- Tuna, light, canned in water, drained, three ounces: 153mg - 3% of the DV
- Coffee, brewed, one cup: 116mg - 2% of the DV
- Lettuce, iceberg, shredded, one cup: 102mg - 2% of the DV
- Peanut butter, one tablespoon: 90mg - 2% of the DV
- Tea, black, brewed, one cup: 88mg - 2% of the DV
- Flaxseed, whole, one tablespoon: 84mg - 2% of the DV
- Bread, whole-wheat, one slice: 81mg - 2% of the DV
- Egg, one large: 69mg - 1% of the DV
- Rice, white, medium-grain, cooked, one cup: 54mg - 1% of the DV
- Bread, white, one slice: 37mg - 1% of the DV
- Cheese, mozzarella, part skim, ½ ounces: 36mg - 1% of the DV
While bananas are high in potassium, many other foods are high in this mineral. Aside from bananas, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables contain more potassium than bananas. And potassium is one of the nutrients that Americans must include on the Nutrition Facts label. Many health concerns are associated with low potassium intake, so it's essential to have foods high in potassium in your diet.
