Potassium is actually an electrolyte though often classified as a mineral, and is extremely necessary for our good health. Potassium helps carry the electrical charges in your body and also involved in the proper functions of cells. The primary function of potassium is to help in the digestion, absorption and assimilation of protein in foods you consume to help build muscle tissues, bones and other cells. Potassium plays a number of roles in body metabolism and ensures that all the cells, organs and tissues function effectively. Its primary functions are:
- It helps in protein synthesis and in carbohydrate metabolism and amino acids
- It is essential for body growth and building of muscles
- It helps regulate acid-base balance
- It maintains normal electrical activity in the heart
Potassium is an important mineral for our body, but having too little or too much can have serious side effects. There is an abundance of potassium which occurs naturally in many foods that Mother Nature provides and our body getting malnourished by the mineral is a very remote possibility. In the case of starvation or malnourishment, where the body does not get enough potassium it can lead to high blood pressure and salt sensitivity.
Medical experts insist that an intake of 4.7 grams or higher of potassium can help lower blood pressure. Hypokalemia is a condition that people who are on diuretics experience. Many people who use diuretics to lose weight will experience lower potassium levels in their body. Potassium from the body is lost when we suffer from various ailments like vomiting, diarrhea, disorders of the kidney and adrenal glands. Hyperkalemia is the condition where there is too much potassium in the body. There are a number of causes for this to occur. These include severe infections, kidney failure, and abnormal breakdown of protein. Kidney malfunction is a primary cause for excess potassium in blood especially in people who undergo dialysis and take certain medications which reduce the body’s ability to be rid of excess potassium.
Why Does Our Body Need Potassium?
Potassium is important for our body. It helps to protect our brain, heart and other important organs. When excess Sodium gets accumulated in the blood, it leads to retention of fluid in the body and high blood pressure. Potassium helps to curb this increased blood pressure by getting rid of sodium from the body. Potassium helps increase bone strength and prevents bone loss and the risk of kidney stones is highly reduced.
At times, we fail to take the right kinds of foods for various reasons. It could be to our fast paced life where we have very little time to ensure that we eat healthy foods that provide us proper nourishment, or in our hurry we just grab some fast foods or processed foods to curb our hunger pangs little realizing that these foods provide little or no nourishment. Most of the fast and processed foods do not have the required nutrients our body needs. We require the right amounts of potassium for a healthy body and there are many foods that will provide that nourishment.
What Foods Are Rich In Potassium?
The humble banana which is a poor man’s food is very rich in potassium; a single serving of the food will provide 350 milligrams of the mineral. Other fruits rich in the mineral are cantaloupes, dried apricots, figs, beets, orange juice and honeydew melon. Foods like soy, and it products, potatoes with skins, meats and dairy products are rich in potassium. Here are some potassium rich foods and the nutrition they provide per serving.
| Food Item | Potassium (mg) |
|---|---|
| Sweet potato, medium baked along with skin | 694 |
| Medium potato with skin intact | 610 |
| Winter squash, 1 cup cubed and cooked | 896 |
| Fat free yogurt, 1 cup | 579 |
| 100% orange juice, 8 ounces (235 ml) | 496 |
| Banana, medium-sized | 422 |
| Cantaloupe, 1 cup cubed | 431 |
| Lentils, half cup cooked | 366 |
| Halibut, 3 ounces (85 g) cooked | 490 |
| Broccoli, one cup cooked | 457 |
| Low fat milk, 8 ounces (235 ml) | 366 |
| Dry roasted pistachios, one ounce (28 g) shelled | 295 |
| Raisins, quarter cup | 250 |
| Chicken Breasts, 3 ounces (85 g) cooked | 218 |
It's important that you include all these foods that provide you with the necessary amounts of potassium in your daily diet. Taking a blood test to determine potassium levels in your blood will help you further and your doctor will tell you which foods you can include in your diet to elevate potassium levels just in case your blood does not have the required amounts. Once you know which foods you can include in your diet to increase potassium levels, make sure you have them in your daily diet and this will ensure your body has the required potassium to help it function more efficiently.
