Powerful Potassium
We hear a lot about sodium. We get too much, and we need to cut back; processed foods and restaurant foods are high in sodium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommend that we limit “Sodium—Less than 2,300 milligrams per day—and even less for children younger than age 14.”
Unfortunately, more Americans who need to are not following these guidelines. Americans eat on average about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. (And reviewing many food records/logs,I see much higher numbers regularly. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,340 mg of sodium. But this isn’t about sodium. Potassium is the nutrient that can help balance sodium in the body – when we get too much, and the mineral that many of us don’t get enough is potassium.
Again, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 state, “Current inadequate intake of nutrient-dense foods and beverages across food groups has resulted in underconsumption of some nutrients and dietary components. Calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D are considered dietary components of public health concern for the general U.S. population because low intakes are associated with health concerns.”
Potassium is specifically found mostly in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Why is it so important?
As already mentioned, potassium helps balance sodium in the body; sodium and potassium are partners in balancing the water in our body. A simple explanation is that sodium helps us retain fluids and increase blood pressure, which we do not want. Potassium can increase sodium’s excretion from the body, reducing fluid retention and blood pressure.
Potassium also has a role in nerve conduction and muscle control. Athletes lose potassium during exercise, so it is an ingredient in sports drinks along with sodium. Also, people will find out from their doctor that they are low in potassium when they experience chest pain and may come how with a “prescription” to consume more potassium. Then bananas are consumed more often.
Where is it?
There it is: when someone mentions potassium – the first thing people think of is bananas! But there are so many more foods with potassium than bananas; milk and yogurt; apricots, melons, raisins, and prunes; white and sweet potatoes; carrots, beans, spinach, and tomatoes; and finally nuts! Eating various fruits and veggies, nuts, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products can provide you with all the potassium you need each day.
How Much?
Potassium’s recommendation is 4,700 mg daily (4.7 g) – but please make sure you are getting it from your foods and not a potassium supplement unless you have a prescription to do so.
