The Health Benefits of Potassium
Potassium helps your muscles to move properly and your nerves to function effectively. It is also involved in the storage of carbohydrates used as fuel by the muscles. For example, athletes with low levels of potassium may tire more easily during exercise because a deficiency of potassium can cause a decrease in the fuel glycogen which is needed by muscles during exercise. Potassium also controls the balance of fluids in the body and may help to lower blood pressure.
A deficiency of potassium
Apart from a poor diet and overuse of muscles, another factor that can cause a deficiency of potassium is any situation that drains an excess amount of fluid from our bodies, e.g. excessive sweating, diarrhoea, overuse of diuretics (such as drinks containing caffeine) and insufficient water intake.
If your body is deficient in potassium you would feel weak and tired. Also you might have trouble co-ordinating your muscles and you would find it difficult to concentrate. Lack of potassium can cause high blood pressure, hypertension, strokes and heart irregularities. However, these problems could also be due to other causes, so please check with your doctor and avoid self-diagnosis (however clever you think you are! – Beeble).
How much Potassium?
Infants
0-6 months – 0.4 g
7-12 months – 0.7 g
Children
1-3 years – 3 g
4-8 years – 3.8 g
Males
9-13 years – 4.5 g
14+ years – 4.7 g
Females
9-13 years – 4.5 g
14+years – 4.7 g
Which foods contain potassium?
The mineral potassium is found in many foods, particularly vegetables and fruit. So that’s another good reason to have your five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Swiss chard, spinach, yams, squash, avocados, tomatoes, soya flour, pinto beans, lentils, bananas, oranges, kiwis, dried fruits and nuts are all high in potassium.
Cooking can reduce the level of potassium in foods, for example in spinach (yes, our old friend is back again! – Beeble) levels of potassium can drop by about half after just a few minutes cooking time. The answer? Wherever possible, eat your potassium-rich vegetables and fruit raw. Instead of lettuce in salads use raw spinach leaves for a change, they taste delicious.
View the top 100 foods that contain Potassium.
Do I need a supplement?
A potassium supplement should not be necessary as we should have all of this mineral we need from an ordinary healthy diet. Too much potassium could be harmful, especially for older people whose kidneys are less able to remove potassium from the blood.
Always consult your doctor if you are considering making a drastic change to your diet or if you suffer from any of the above symptoms as they may not be caused by potassium deficiency.
