In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is Potassium?Foods High in PotassiumWhat Does Potassium Do for Your Body?FAQs
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is Potassium?
Foods High in Potassium
What Does Potassium Do for Your Body?
FAQs
Close
Photo: Casey Barber
How many times have you heard the word “potassium” and immediately thought of a banana? Sure, this fruit has a high amount of the nutrient and is typically associated with helping to prevent and relieve muscle cramps. But you may be shocked to know thatpotassiumis also abouthydration.You heard that right—potassium is a key nutrient for keeping your body hydrated and functioning properly. Without it, your body—and importantly, your heart—could experience serious consequences.
But what exactly happens to your body when you eat potassium, and why does it play such a major role in hydration? To better understand how this vital nutrient affects the body, we spoke withCaroline Thomason, RD, CDCES, a Washington, D.C.-based dietitian, while also consulting the latest nutrition research.
According to theNational Institutes of Health, the adequate daily intake of potassium for adults is 3,400 milligrams for men and 2,600 milligrams for women. Pregnant women need 2,900 milligrams, and 2,800 milligrams during their lactation period.
Unfortunately, the average American doesn’t get enough of their recommended daily value every day; adults 20 and older are only averaging 3,016 milligrams for men and 2,320 milligrams for women, and this can also vary based on race. Not getting enough potassium can contribute to a variety of health impacts, including high blood pressure, dehydration and complications related to muscle activity.
While most people would associate potassium with bananas (one medium banana contains 420 milligrams, or 12% of your Daily Value), bananas aren’t the only food high in potassium. In fact, some fruits and vegetables even havemorepotassium than what’s behind that banana peel. Here are some of thefoods high in potassiumthat will help you reach your daily goals:
1. Your Blood Pressure May Decrease
“Because of potassium’s effect on fluid levels, you may find that eating a diet high in potassium (namely from fruits and veggies) can reduce blood pressure in conjunction with other lifestyle changes like exercise and stress management,” says Thomason.
According to theAmerican Heart Association, potassium works to ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps to lower blood pressure numbers and decrease your heart disease risk.
2. Your Body Will Stay Hydrated
“Potassium is an electrolyte and can help hydrate the body and restore fluid levels,” Thomason says. “Particularly when combined with enough water, sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.”
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, potassium plays a main role in fluid balance, making sure your body has enough of the fluids it needs while balancing out the other minerals in your blood, especially sodium. By ensuring your cells have the necessary amount of water, your body stays hydrated. Hence why many electrolyte powders and products contain both potassium and sodium for hydration.
3. You May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
“A diet high in potassium and low in sodium—also known asthe DASH diet— has been shown tolower risk for heart diseaseor improve existing cardiovascular conditions,” says Thomason.
A 2022 cohort study published in theEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiologyproves this, concluding that, for patients in their trial, a long-term adherence to the DASH diet, with relevant food substitutions, was associated with a lower risk of heart failure.
The DASH diet (an acronym for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”) specifically focuses on meals that are lower in sodium and higher in the nutrients needed to help lower blood pressure: potassium, of course, as well as calcium and magnesium.The DASH diet eating planrecommends aiming for 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day, which exceeds the adequate intake of 2,600 to 3,400 milligrams.
4. Your Muscles and Heart Will Function Smoothly
This type of mechanism may not be one you think about often, but potassium helps your nerve transmitting signals, which in turn helps your skeletal muscle and your heart to contract normally for your everyday bodily functions, per an article published in theInternational Journal of Clinical and Experimental Physiology.This is a part of electrochemical balance, where sodium goes into a cell and potassium leaves it, regulating your muscle and heart activity.
The Bottom Line
Potassium plays a much more significant role than eating a banana if you’re experiencing muscle cramps after a workout. Potassium is an essential electrolyte needed for your body’s hydration, because it plays a key role in keeping your blood pressure low, your muscles and heart functioning smoothly, and your risk of heart disease at a minimum. (Need more ideas? Check this out:20+ Healthy Recipes with Potassium-Rich Foods.)
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are deficient in your potassium intake, it may cause your blood pressure to rise. Without as much potassium in your system, your body may struggle to balance your sodium intake. High amounts of sodium in the blood can increase your blood pressure and raise your risk of stroke and developing heart disease.
Known ashypokalemia, when the amount of potassium in the blood is lower than normal range (typically under 3 milliequivalents per liter), normal bodily function will start to shift. The body’s digestive system and bone health may be affected, as well as your risk for heart disease, and this imbalance could also lead to symptoms like constipation, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle weakness and even paralysis.
Thankfully, having too much potassium (also known as potassium toxicity) isn’t something we have to worry about too much. If the body has too much potassium, it will simply expel any excess through our urine.
However, as of right now, there isn’t significant evidence to suggest that hyperkalemia can be a result of eating a diet in high potassium, hence why theNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicinedidn’t set a tolerable upper limit for intake because potassium isn’t considered toxic (unlike some nutrients, like taking too many fat-soluble vitamins).
Instead, hyperkalemia can occur from other factors, most commonly from kidney disease (the kidneys help to balance the digested potassium and pass it through urine) or taking certain medications, according to a review published inDrug Safety.
Yes, staying hydrated does help with high potassium because it helps to flush the excess potassium out of your system through urination. However, high potassium is not a very common issue and should be treated in conjunction with your medical provider.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2023
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
