Potassium

mrsmuzzy24

Looking for ideas to get more potassium while staying lower carb?

kpk54

Salmon, avocados, spinach, mushrooms. Swiss Chard if you like it. Sweet potatoes if they fit into your carb amount.

elize7

I take a supplement. It's easy.

StacyChrz

Avocado and spinach are staples in my diet, but remember that potassium is present in many different foods. Even chicken, beef and pork have potassium. I will sometimes Google it and use and Estimated Potassium Count to add it to my diary. And like @elize7 I will also take a supplement if I feel like I need it.

KnitOrMiss

Unless you are medically monitored, I don't recommend seeking out specific sources of potassium. Excess potassium, even from food sources, can be harmful to your health - and even deadly at excess levels. Most folks eating whole foods and a variety of them get plenty of potassium in food intake.

Remember, also, that medications and supplements can alter the amount of potassium in the blood, both in increases and in decreases. High potassium is just as dangerous as low potassium... So please, be sure this is needed in your diet before adding it in. For me, personally, if I add potassium intentionally, it makes me dump magnesium.

Catawampous

I don't seek it out. Listen to @KnitOrMiss! As a Med Tech in a former life, I've seen people really jack themselves up messing with this. It makes me crazy when people start supplementing this who aren't being medically supervised.

baconslave

Good links to see how much potassium you are already getting in food.
http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data5b.html
http://www.pittsburgh.va.gov/Dialysis/docs/PotassiumValuesofFood.pdf

elisa123gal

potassium balances sodium....heart patients have to be careful on this. When i research how much potassium you're supposed to have a day, it seems impossible to eat your way there. I take supplements when I feel the need.

Now I'm on low carb, and see that eating salt is reccomeneded...it throws off everything Ive ever practiced; i.e.; limiting salt intake. so I am completely confused.

baconslave

The increased need for sodium is biological.
Consuming less carbs causes the body to stop hoarding as much glycogen. Glycogen stores water with it. Once that starts to go, the body sheds the water, which pulls sodium out. Sodium is the electrolyte balancer. If the body has adequate sodium, it will preserve the other electrolytes in the body. The lower carb you are, the more water is shed, which flushes out more sodium. Therefore, our intake of sodium must increase so that we can retain just enough water and to keep the other electrolyte levels where they should be. Keto level carbs require 3,000-5000mg daily. Minimum. Some people find they need more than the 5,000. Those that are just "low-carb" find they can get away with the lower end of the range easily. I'm at 100-120ish, and as long as I get between 2500 and 3000, I feel pretty decent.

@cstephansen has something about how studies are finding that people live longer and have better health with higher sodium intake. We have a couple threads about electrolytes in the Open Threads collection in the stickies.

What I gather from it all, is that electrolyte trouble, particularly regarding sodium, is an issue in higher-carb diets. They have extra water due to the glycogen storage, and that somehow causes blood pressure issues. All I know is that when I went low-carb and raised my salt, my blood pressure went down almost immediately and stayed down. Many people have found this benefit.

I'd be glad for those who have any documentation/evidence to add to our collection to float it my way so I can add it to my hoard.

cstehansen

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889

This study shows link between sodium intake and mortality using data from nearly 102,000 people. The graph below is from this study and tells the tale pretty well. Getting less than 3,000 mg per day has a higher mortality than getting more than 6,000 mg per day.


Here is another chart regarding potassium from the same study.


The recommendation for staying below 2,300 mg per day came because a small fraction of people with HBP (who only make up about 15% of the population) seem to have an adverse response to sodium. Instead of saying those people should cut back on sodium, the government (in its infinite wisdom) just said everyone should cut back.

Remember, these are the same geniuses who told us eating fat makes you fat and listed added sugar as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe).

2t9nty

FWIW, I drink a gallon of Crystal Light a day to keep my fluid intake up. I put in the container a 1/4 cup of raw, unfiltered vinegar, a teaspoon of lite salt and a teaspoon of epsom salt. This is my electrolyte drink. It boosts the daily sodium by 1100mg and you are getting 1400 mg of potassium and 500 mg of magnesium. My goal for sodium is 4000 mg plus added salt from the shaker to taste. I will often have three servings of olives with lunch if my sodium is looking as if it will be low for the day.

Now - I should issue a disclaimer. I don't have any blood tests to suggest levels are low or high. I just started doing this because I was getting light headed when I would walk for exercise. Drinking my electrolyte mix seems to have "cured" this symptom.