Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that's primarily found in the body's cells and organs -- about 98% -- while the rest is in the blood. It has a hand in cell, tissue, and organ function.

Potassium is vital to proper heart, nerve, muscle, and digestive functions. It's also an electrolyte -- a substance in blood and bodily fluid that conducts electricity. Potassium is primarily used for potassium deficiency, bone health, high blood pressure, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Types of potassium

1. Potassium citrate: Taken by mouth. Potassium citrate is used to treat and prevent kidney stones. It does this by reducing acid levels in urine.
2. Potassium iodide: Taken by mouth. Potassium iodide is used to relieve chest and lung congestion, and protect the thyroid gland during radiation treatment.
3. Potassium chloride: Taken by mouth. Potassium chloride is used to treat low levels of potassium.
4. Potassium bicarbonate: Taken by mouth. Potassium bicarbonate is used to treat potassium deficiency.^[10]
5. Potassium gluconate: Taken by mouth. Potassium gluconate is used to treat and prevent potassium deficiency when diet doesn't provide enough.^[17]
6. Potassium acetate: Given by injection for deficiency when oral supplementation/treatment isn't possible. Potassium acetate is an alternative to potassium chloride.^[19]
7. Potassium Nitrate: This unique form of potassium is used as a nitric oxide supplement, which helps increase bloodflow prior to working out, increasing strength, endurance, and muscle pumps.
8. Potassium Nitrate/Silver Nitrate is also used topically for the treatment of ulcers and wounds on skin and mucous membranes, such as the mouth, vagina, and rectum.

Benefits, uses, and effectiveness

Potassium is crucial for helping the body operate normally and especially for the transmission of signals between the muscles and nerves. Consuming a diet high in potassium or supplementing your diet with the mineral has a variety of proven benefits.

• Bone health: A potassium-rich diet, especially in older women, may help prevent osteoporosis.

• Potassium supplementation may help treat or prevent hypokalemia, also known as potassium deficiency.

• Consuming a potassium-rich diet may lower your risk of having a stroke. The same benefit does not seem to occur with potassium supplementation.

• Some experts say that potassium supplements may help reduce blood pressure in children and adults. It may just help lower blood pressure in deficient individuals. The key to effective blood pressure reduction may be increasing potassium while decreasing sodium.^[14]

• Potassium supplementation may help reduce irritable bowel syndrome since individuals with IBS have trouble absorbing nutrients. Your doctor may order blood work to check your potassium levels.

• A diet low in potassium and high in sodium has been implicated in mental health problems, even severe diseases like schizophrenia.^[19]

Potassium and schizophrenia

Other functions and benefits

• Electrolyte and pH balance control (in conjunction with sodium)
• Lowering cardiovascular mortality (increased potassium intake in conjunction with lower sodium intake)
• Helps preserve bone calcium levels by regulating pH balance
• Sodium regulation
• Assists in making proteins
• Aids metabolism
• Aids carbohydrate storage
• Assists growth and muscle-building
• Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults
• Lowering the risk of coronary heart disease in adults

Potassium deficiency and toxicity

Having too little potassium in the blood is called hypokalemia. It's typically caused by excessive potassium losses via urine or intestines rather than lack of dietary potassium.

A slight dip in potassium levels may not be noticeable, but these symptoms are indicative of a deficiency:

• Weakness/fatigue

• Stomach problems
• Muscle cramps/damage
• Irregular heartbeat
• Abnormal EKG (electrocardiogram for testing heart function)
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Paralysis

Hypokalemia effects

Too little potassium may lead to:

• Infertility

• Arthritis
• Digestive disorders

Blood potassium, comprehensive metabolic panel, and EKG are tests that may be ordered by your healthcare provider to diagnose a potassium deficiency.

Deficiency risks and causes

You may be at risk of developing potassium deficiency if you:

• Excessive use of laxatives

• Take water pills (diuretics) for high blood pressure or heart problems

• Have certain kidney or adrenal gland disorders

• Severe or long-lasting vomiting and diarrhea

• Insufficient intake of potassium-rich foods

• A physically demanding job

• Athletes are at higher risk for potassium loss

• Eating disorder

• Smoking

• Drink alcohol to excess or use drugs

• Have malabsorption problems

• Eat a lot of black licorice

• Magnesium deficiency

Food sources

Adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet can help treat and prevent deficiency. Dietary sources of potassium include:

• Bananas

• Orange juice

• Cantaloupes

• Fish (including salmon, flounder, and cod)

• Red meat

• Soy

• Sweet and regular potatoes (with skin)

• Spinach

• Milk (non-fat)

• Nuts (unsalted)

• Whole grains

• Coconut water

Potassium from Bananas!

Potassium deficiency treatment

Treatment of potassium deficiency may also include:

• Oral potassium supplements for a mild deficiency

• Intravenous supplementation for severe deficiency

• Switching to a diuretic that preserves potassium levels

• Lowering thyroid hormone levels in the blood while increasing potassium levels. This treatment helps prevent paralysis caused by a particular type of potassium deficiency.

Toxicity

Too much potassium in the blood is calledhyperkalemia. It's usually caused by kidney disease. The kidneys maintain blood potassium levels, but if your kidney function is compromised, potassium could build up.

Potential causes of hyperkalemia include excessive acid in the blood (seen sometimes in diabetics), trauma, burns, Addison's disease, taking beta blockers, and taking very high doses of potassium supplements. Expert opinion is mixed on whether eating a high potassium diet could lead to hyperkalemia. Older adults may be at risk for the condition since kidney function decreases with age.

Toxicity symptoms

• Weakness

• Fatigue

• Tingling

• Numbness

• Breathing difficulty

• Nausea and/or vomiting

• Irregular heartbeat

• Paralysis

There are typically no noticeable symptoms of hyperkalemia.

Treatment options

Medication

Helps maintain heart function (calcium chloride or gluconate), re-route potassium from the blood to the cells (insulin, sodium bicarbonate, beta agonists), and boost excretion of extra potassium (diuretics). Binding resins also facilitates potassium and sodium exchange in the GI tract. For people with kidney failure, hemodialysis is used to remove potassium.

Nutrition

Taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle while also reducing the amount of potassium inyour diet can also help.

• Avoid refined foods such as white bread and rice

• Eliminate foods you may be allergic to such as dairy, soy and preservatives

• Eat less red and processed meat and more lean meat, fish and beans for protein

• Use olive and coconut oils, which are healthier

• Cut down on trans fats, which are in baked foods like cake and cookies, as well as fried foods

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water

• Exercise regularly -- at least 30 minutes, five days per week

• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes

• Avoid potassium-rich foods

Herbs

Herbs may help as well. They are available in many forms including tinctures and extracts. Avoid these herbs as they may increase potassium:

• Alfalfa

• Dandelion

• Nettle

• Horsetail

Alternative treatments

Acupuncture, Swedish massage and homeopathy are some alternative medicine options may enhance kidney function.

Sports nutrition and electrolytes

Optimal nutrition enhances athletic performance and recovery.

Electrolytes are ions that are positively and negatively charged. They are involved in: ^{[11, 12]}

• Balance of bodily fluids

• Muscle contraction

• Neural (nerve) activity

Besides potassium, other common electrolytes are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorous, and sodium.

Athletes who engage in intense physical activity formore than one hour at a time are prone to excessive fluid loss from sweat. Sodium and chloride are lost in larger amounts than magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Still,

Athletes may need to consume extra potassium.

Energy drinks

Since dehydration can increase the amount of sodium and potassium in sweat, it's important to stay hydrated.^[11]

Carbohydrate- and electrolyte-rich sports drinks can replace valuable nutrients, including potassium, during extended bouts of strenuous activity. It's especially important to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

When choosing a sports drink, take these considerations into mind:^[6]

• It should have less than 8% total solids, such as sugars and electrolytes. Concentrated varieties may hinder fluid absorption.

• Select a drink that doesn't contain fructose as the only carbohydrate source since it could cause stomachaches.

• Also, fructose is slow to convert to glucose for energy use. So a drink with only fructose will not provide a quick energy boost.

Post workout

After long, intense exercise, choose sodium-rich foods and beverages to aid recovery. Sports drinks or bars help, too. If you prefer drinking water, pair it with foods rich in sodium and minerals.^[11]

Add potassium-rich foods to your diet in order to boost supply. Supplementation is not needed, however, because the body can adjust readily to potassium losses. ^{[6, 15]} In a study of potassium supplements, researchers found that supplementation did not seem to be effective in preventing low potassium levels in athletes who were less active long-term.^[13]

Other experts maintain that supplementation may be warranted for athletes who:^[15]

• Restrict energy intake and/or use severe weight loss methods

• Avoid consuming foods from certain food groups

• Eat an unbalanced diet

Safety concerns and side effects

• Talk to your doctor before taking potassium supplements or herbal therapies. Do not self-treat.

• Due to their effect on potassium levels, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and ACE inhibitors may not be appropriate for older adults.

• A big drop in potassium levels can be dangerous. Consult your doctor, call 911, or go to the ER immediately if symptoms arise.^{[7, 8]}

• Side effects of potassium supplementation may include stomach irritation, diarrhea, and nausea. Larger doses may result in muscle weakness and slow heart rate or abnormal heart rhythm. If you experience irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or severe stomach pain, call your doctor.

• Avoid tinctures if you have a history of alcoholism.^[8]

• Do not take potassium supplements if you have kidney disease or hyperkalemia.

• If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor before starting herbal therapy.^[8]

• Limit dietary potassium intake if you are on dialysis.

• Avoid starting a workout dehydrated or thirsty. One way to know if you're dehydrated is by checking the color of your urine. Pale yellow urine signifies that you're well hydrated. ^[11]

Interactions

Due to possible hyperkalemia risk, do not take the following medications with potassium without first talking to your doctor.

• Indomethacin

• Angiotensin receptor blockers

• Potassium sparing diuretics

• Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

Medications that may increase potassium levels

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Heparin

• Bactrim/septra antibiotic

• Beta blockers

Medications that may decrease potassium levels

• Loop diuretics

• Thiazide diuretics

• Antacids

• Insulin

• Fluconazole

• Theophylline

• Laxatives

• Amphotericin B

• Corticosteroids

Digoxin may have toxic effects if you have low potassium levels while taking it.

Recommended dosage

Source: USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Where to buy

Right here at PricePlow. Our price comparisons of various brands make it easy to find the best deal. You can save from 30% to 50% buying from us versus your local retail store.

What is the best potassium

Scivation Xtend - Our Favorite BCAA Drink

There are a variety of products on the market that contain electrolytes, including potassium. Some require mixing with water or other liquids, while others are ready-to-serve.

Electrolytes come in many forms from chewy candies to fruits and vegetables. They are also sold in powdered form in individual packets as well as bulk containers. Potassium comes in supplemental, multivitamin-mineral formulas, and on its own.

NOW Foods offers a basic potassium supplement, manufactured in a cGMP-compliant facility.

Another good brand isScivation's XTEND. It's a great source of electrolytes, including potassium. Plus it's sugar- and carbohydrate-free. It can help maximize your training intensity, and aid protein synthesis and recovery. It comes in a variety of easy-to-mix flavors.

Finally, you may also like to try the products in thecoconut water subcategory.

Considerations

• Certain types of cooking methods, such as boiling, can destroy potassium.^[4]
• Muscle cramps during exercise are more likely caused by sodium loss than potassium loss.^[11]
• If you are on dialysis, maintain a strict schedule to avoid potassium toxicity and other problems.^[8]
• Food processing can lower potassium levels in food, so eating too many processed foods and too few fruits and vegetables could affect your potassium levels.^[14]