Do you take a potassium supplement?

CanadaGracie

After much trial and error I finally seem to be able to hit my macro and micronutrient targets most days. The only exception is potassium. I’m consistently at least 1000mg low every day. I’m a vegetarian and I eat lots of fruits and vegetables but I just don’t like bananas, which of course have lots of potassium. I’m thinking of starting a potassium supplement. Does anyone else have a hard time getting enough potassium?

paperpudding

are you actually low in potassium - a blood test has shown this?

Is there some reason a potassium supplement is warranted? - eg some diurectics do drain potassium and people take supplements

or are your numbers just low on paper - which probably just means all foods don't have the amount recorded.
In which case I would do nothing - it is a 'paper problem' not a real problem.

MargaretYakoda

Do you eat other foods high in potassium?
Avocados, spinach, watermelon, beans and legumes, for example?

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-loaded-with-potassium

If so, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Also you would probably know if you were consistently low. There are symptoms, many of which are quite annoying, and others would likely send you to the er.

Note bene: I am not a doctor. More specifically, I am not your doctor.
If you are concerned, discuss this with your care team.

semisweetchick

I'll start by saying a I'm a nurse.

Unless your lab work is abnormal and you're instructed by a healthcare professional, it's not wise to take a potassium supplement because it can disrupt your heart function.

Since your blood work was normal, I'd say keep up the good work! You're doing a fine job.

CanadaGracie

Thank you for the responses! My last blood test showed a normal potassium level, I just got a little worried that I’m not getting enough since I changed my eating habits because my food log shows I only ingest about 1500mg a day (typical RDA is around 4700mg). It’s probably just that the micronutrient info is missing from some of the foods I’ve logged. I’ll check that out.

CanadaGracie

semisweetchick wrote: »

I'll start by saying a I'm a nurse.

Unless your lab work is abnormal and you're instructed by a healthcare professional, it's not wise to take a potassium supplement because it can disrupt your heart function.

Since your blood work was normal, I'd say keep up the good work! You're doing a fine job.

Thank you! The bloodwork was from before I started eating less/better but I probably get more potassium now without all that junk, so I will stay away from the supplements 😁

AnnPT77

CanadaGracie wrote: »

Thank you for the responses! My last blood test showed a normal potassium level, I just got a little worried that I’m not getting enough since I changed my eating habits because my food log shows I only ingest about 1500mg a day (typical RDA is around 4700mg). It’s probably just that the micronutrient info is missing from some of the foods I’ve logged. I’ll check that out.

If you do a deep dive on a couple of typical eating days, you can probably get a clearer view. A source like the USDA food central database may help:

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

If you do find that you're coming up a little short, and would like to improve that even though blood tests are normal, a conservative strategy would be to find some higher-potassium foods you enjoy eating, and tweak your routine eating habits to get those foods in your rotation more frequently.

This has useful information about potassium needs, including good sources, risks of supplements, and more, from a very mainstream source, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH):

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/