The Role of Potassium in Your Health

What is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral and one of the seven essential macronutrients that the human body needs to support key processes.

Thousands of years ago, when people lived as gatherers and hunters, potassium was abundant in their diet, but sodium was scarce.

However, today our diet contains twice as much sodium as potassium due to the high amount of hidden salt in processed foods, not to mention the insufficient potassium content.

This imbalance, contrary to human evolution, is believed to contribute significantly to the prevalence of high blood pressure.

What is Potassium Good For?

About 98% of the potassium in the body is found within cells. 80% of it is in muscle cells, while the remaining 20% is in bones, liver, and red blood cells.

Potassium also functions as an electrolyte. Electrolytes help control electrical impulses in the body and assist in several fundamental functions, including:

• Blood pressure regulation
• Normal water balance
• Muscle contractions
• Nerve impulses
• Digestion
• Heart rhythm
• pH balance
  
  

The Effects of Potassium

Potassium contributes to

• Proper functioning of the nervous system
• Normal muscle function
• Maintaining normal blood pressure

Sources of Potassium

The most common food sources of potassium include:

• Fruits, such as apricots, bananas, kiwis, oranges, and pineapples
• Vegetables, such as leafy greens, carrots, and potatoes
• Lean meats
• Whole grains
• Beans and nuts
  
  

In case of low potassium levels, a doctor may prescribe potassium as a dietary supplement, and in severe deficiencies, intravenous treatment may be necessary.

According to the WHO’s new guidelines, adults should consume less than 2000 mg of sodium and at least 3510 mg of potassium per day. In healthy individuals, the kidneys efficiently eliminate excess potassium, mainly through urine, so excessive potassium consumption is only potentially dangerous in certain conditions such as kidney failure.