Potassium

rickyberkey

I take supplements and eat fairly well but still seem to have a deficiency of potassium on any given day according to the MFP nutrient screen. What is a good way to meet that potassium requirement and is it even necessary to get that level?

daedalus01

A lot of items logged using the app don't have to correct potassium information listed. You can google high potassium foods and drinks. You can also pick up "lo salt", it contains potassium.

nickatine

I wouldn't trust mfp nutrient screen as they are just basic guidelines. If you really want to know if you are deficient I would suggest getting a blood test. But on you're second question, Dried apricots, cantaloupe, avacado, plain yogurt, salmon, unsalted nuts, banana, pumpkin.

RodaRose

The FDA does not require food labels to include potassium. That is why it inconstantly shows up in MFP.

NowyTends

Daedalus01 is correct, Be careful with some of the database entries here.. User generated rather than moderated is more often than not a cause of inconsistency.

Best source i use to get potassium (I have a deficiency apparently...go figure) is brocolli. Steam it in a microwave, and enjoy the awesome goodness.

rickyberkey

I have noticed that a lot of listings (even those coming from the actual vendors) don't contain potassium information when I know the food contains it. I don't have anything near a real deficiency, just less than the recommendation on the nutrition list. I'm just trying to keep an eye on all those readings as I make progress toward better health.

blueakama

Here's a list of potassium high foods:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=90

cindytw

I have actually had a diagnosed deficiency. What you need to do is when logging foods, look for similar items with potassium listed. For example I KNOW spinach has potassium, so I look for any listing that includes potassium.

AJ_G

rickyberkey

I have always taken a Potassium supplement but was curious why it is so low (99 mg) when the recommended allowance is so high. It doesn't seem like there is a high potency potassium supplement.

kissesdahling

Getting too much potassium is actually quite dangerous, and supplements generally aren't recommended unless you have a diagnosed deficiency and you've been recommended to take them by your healthcare provider. I've actually had potassium that is too low and potassium that is too high at different points in life. BOTH can cause fatal heart arrhythmias. My mother died of an arrhythmia caused by low potassium; my grandfather died of high potassium--so it really does work both ways, and if you have certain health problems, particularly of the kidneys, messing with your potassium without a doctor's guidance is playing with fire.

That said, it's important to get it in your diet. Mine is low right now due to a health problem. The other people here are giving good advice. I find I get it easiest in broccoli, spinach, chickpeas, orange juice, Brussels sprouts and foods with potatoes (chips, fries, or...obviously potatoes themselves).

Like others said, potassium isn't required to be listed on nutritional facts, so you kind of have to look it up yourself and keep a tally going--especially if you eat packaged foods. (For instance, if you ate a frozen dinner that contains half a cup of green peas, look up the potassium in that and keep a tally in that way.)

Kalikel

Don't take potassium supplements unless the doctor tells you to take them.

The MFP stuff is off because not all labels include the potassium and because many are entered by people who don't enter the info correctly. You cannot get an accurate estimate from the MFP info.

Kalikel

rickyberkey wrote: »

I have always taken a Potassium supplement but was curious why it is so low (99 mg) when the recommended allowance is so high. It doesn't seem like there is a high potency potassium supplement.

Most OTC stuff is made in high doses for one reason: it sells. It doesn't actually do anyone any good. If you take more Vitamin C than you need, it won't help you. But it won't hurt, either. Your body will get rid of it as quickly as possible. You swallow it, you pee it out. No harm down.

The customer is happy, thinking all that extra Vitamin C is keeping them from getting sick, helping them lose weight - whatever they think it's doing, they're happy. The company selling it is happy because they just made a bunch of money selling something very cheap that won't actually hurt anyone. Win-win.

Massive amount of potassium will kill you. I'm sure they'd still sell it, but they like repeat customers. Also, if people start having heart attacks and/or dying from taking their products, that will be bad for business. Lose-lose.

Please consult a doctor about supplements and don't take what you don't need.

I see so much talk here about how you can eat extra sodium if you eat extra potassium. I just know that at some point, some person will think, "Well, if I pig out on sodium, I'll just take a few more of these potassium pills." Every time I see it, I think, "Someone is going to die."

amandaknights

Just get a blood test to check your electrolytes...easy

Need2Exerc1se

rickyberkey wrote: »

I take supplements and eat fairly well but still seem to have a deficiency of potassium on any given day according to the MFP nutrient screen. What is a good way to meet that potassium requirement and is it even necessary to get that level?

Were you put on supplements by your doctor? If not, I would discuss it with him/her. Too much potassium can be deadly.

Good sources of potassium are potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomato juice or sauce, mushrooms, most squash, bussel sprouts, dried beans

FredDoyle

Just look here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
I wouldn't waste money (or my stomach lining) on supplements.
A glass of low sodium V8 has ~850mg for 50 kcals...
Some coconut water has over 1000mg for even less.

sympha01

Meh, I used to think I wasn't getting nearly enough potassium either, thanks to MFP. But I learned how to tell the difference between bad database entries (user-generated) and good database entries (moderated). Lo and behold, it turns out I get >4500 mg / day on the regular, and get 6000 mg days a couple of times each week.

I changed the way I was logging, not the way I was eating. Unless you get the vast majority of your calories from packaged food instead of from ingredients (in which case you'd just be stuck with user-generated entries, dependant at their best on food labels and therefore lacking potassium info), you'll see a big difference in your numbers if you do too. And even if you do eat a lot of packaged foods, your potassium is likely FINE, since everything has potassium in it. Heck, a 12 oz cup of black coffee has 175 mgs. That's almost double your potassium supplement. (See, moar coffee is the answer to everything!)

But if you're worried, just eat more fruits and veggies and man it adds up fast. Fresh or frozen potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach are my go-tos to add nutrients (including lots of potassium) fast w/o adding a ton of calories or sodium. Potatoes are really very potassium rich: 100 g of potato (weighed raw) with the skin on has >400 mg of potassium for only 70 calories.

acogg

Ha-ha, I think this was the topic of my very post on MFP. I was down massively on my sodium (purposely) and was consuming massive amounts of potassium, though I was logging incorrectly. When my electrolytes were tested at a doctor check up, I was low on sodium. As my doctor explained to me, sodium and potassium are both necessary electrolytes and keep each other in balance. Too much of one and not enough of the other is not healthy. All that said, easy sources for potassium are coffee, all meat, most fruits and vegetables. My doctor told me that I should just eat a regular diet and not be afraid of sodium because as long as we are healthy, our bodies can process and balance salt just fine. I will keep this in mind as I eat my Christmas ham tomorrow, LOL!