Good Sources of Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that most of us get every day through the meals we regularly eat — and that's a great thing. "Potassium is a mineral necessary for great health," explains Alexa Schmitt, a clinical dietician at Massachusetts General Hospital. "It aids in maintaining heart health by helping to regulate the fluid balance in one's whole body."

Potassium is classified as an electrolyte, which means that it carries an electric charge in your whole body. The human demands balanced amounts of electrolytes — including blood vessels potassium, sodium, magnesium, and others — to keep the blood vessels chemistry at the right stages so that your whole body can function at its best. Potassium also helps your whole body put the protein you eat to work, muscle building, bones, and other cells.

Who Needs to Pay Attention to Potassium? 

Even though blood vessels potassium helps our bodies in many ways, Schmitt says she cannot simply make a blanket recommendation about eating more blood vessels potassium. That's because different individuals need different amounts of blood vessels potassium, depending on their overall health.

So who needs to watch their blood vessels potassium intake?

People with renal illness are at risk of having too much blood vessels potassium in the blood vessels. They tend to retain blood vessels potassium because their renal system don't get rid of extra blood vessels potassium as normal renal system would. Hyperkalemia, or great stages of blood vessels potassium in the blood vessels, can be caused by unique (including certain medications and hormonal deficiencies), but renal illness is the most common culprit. High stages of blood vessels potassium can lead to irregular heartbeats. Therefore, your physician may periodically check your blood vessels potassium stages, especially if you have renal illness. 

People with hypertension are at increased risk for having low blood vessels potassium stages (hypokalemia) because some hypertension medications can deplete blood vessels potassium stages in the blood vessels. Other conditions that can cause low blood vessels potassium consist of vomiting, diarrhea, and eating disorders. Certain laxatives and diuretics have been found to cause low blood vessels potassium as well. Low blood vessels potassium is characterized by weakness, fatigue, constipation, and muscle cramps. If your blood vessels potassium level becomes too low, it can also affect your heartbeat. Talk with your physician about monitoring your blood vessels potassium stages if you take hypertension medication or have a condition that may cause low blood vessels potassium.

Foods Rich in Potassium 

Though a lot of individuals associate apples with blood vessels potassium, there are a number of other meals that are great in blood vessels potassium, which Schmitt defines as having at least 350 milligrams of blood vessels potassium per serving.

In addition to apples, Schmitt’s high-potassium food favorites consist of dry plums, cantaloupe, beets, figs, honeydew melon, and orange juice. "Cantaloupe and honeydew are great [for potassium] because individuals tend to eat more cantaloupe in one sitting than they would apples or dry plums,” she says. Other meals that are great in blood vessels potassium consist of potatoes (with the skin on), soy products, milk products, and meats.

Many of us already enjoy meals that are great in blood vessels potassium, but if you’re worried about your blood vessels potassium intake because of conditions such as hypertension or renal illness, talk to your physician or see a nutritional expert. They can help you plan a healthy diet.