Pottassium deficiency

JalynRose1

Does anyone have any advice on how to fulfill my potassium requirement everyday? I have tested a couple times with low potassium and I never fulfill my potassium requirement.. What am I missing!?

Oh and PS, please don't say eat a banana!

cwsreddy

Does anyone have any advice on how to fulfill my potassium requirement everyday? I have tested a couple times with low potassium and I never fulfill my potassium requirement.. What am I missing!?

Oh and PS, please don't say eat a banana!

I don't know what your diet is like, but as long as you eat a lot of whole foods such as fruits, veggies, and meat products, you'll be fine on potassium. If you eat mostly processed stuff it will be harder. A lot of foods in the database don't have potassium labelled so it's tough - but things like potatoes, coconut water, fish, mushrooms, avocados, dark leafy greens - those are your best bet!

draco706

you might want to take a supplement.

knra_grl

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php <<< Top 10 Foods with high potassium levels

concordancia

In the US, potassium is not required for the labels, so it can be very difficult to track.

Greek yogurt is a high potassium food!

cwsreddy

you might want to take a supplement.

potassium supplements are pretty ... worthless imo.

they're 99mg a pill, and your daily requirement is 4700mg.

I don't even want to do that math.

MelsAuntie

Eat bananas! Delicious and a great source of potassium.

sillyvalentine

I recently found out that my diet contains NO potassium. Not 1 mg. So I went to buy a supplement. MFP suggests getting 3500mg of potassium a day. The only supplement for sale is 50 mg?!! WFT?! What am I supposed to do, chug a bottle a day?! Apparently, if you want more you have to see a doc and get a scrip because people OD on it all the time.

The foods highest in potassium are:

Per 100 grams

1. White Beans = 561 mg
2. Spinach( and other dark leafy greens) = 558 mg
3. Potato (WITH SKIN!!) = 535 mg
4. Dried Apricots = 1162mg
5 Salmon = 628 mg


Bananas actually rank at the bottom of the list at a measly 358 mg per 100g.

FredDoyle

you might want to take a supplement.

potassium supplements are pretty ... worthless imo.

they're 99mg a pill, and your daily requirement is 4700mg.

I don't even want to do that math.

Wow! I agree with Reddy. Will wonders ever cease.
He's posted a fairly good list. Tomatoes/V8 are a quick low calorie boost. Dark chocolate and coconut water, milk, almond milk...
Check on here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

sillyvalentine

you might want to take a supplement.

potassium supplements are pretty ... worthless imo.

they're 99mg a pill, and your daily requirement is 4700mg.

I don't even want to do that math.

You can get a scrip for a higher dosage.

FredDoyle

you might want to take a supplement.

potassium supplements are pretty ... worthless imo.

they're 99mg a pill, and your daily requirement is 4700mg.

I don't even want to do that math.

You can get a scrip for a higher dosage.

Not great for the stomach. Better to get it from foods. It's really not that hard if you eat meat fish and veg.

cwsreddy

you might want to take a supplement.

potassium supplements are pretty ... worthless imo.

they're 99mg a pill, and your daily requirement is 4700mg.

I don't even want to do that math.

Wow! I agree with Reddy. Will wonders ever cease.
He's posted a fairly good list. Tomatoes/V8 are a quick low calorie boost. Dark chocolate and coconut water, milk, almond milk...
Check on here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

The sad thing about all this is that you (and everyone else) and I agree on 90% of this stuff.

It's just that the last 10% gets all contentious.

SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222

Yea just take some vitamins...and maybe youre just really dehydrated.... that could cause low potassium - make sure youre getting adequate water and salt - believe it or not, if you drink tons of water - its gonna wash all your vitamins and minerals out... i used to do that and i would become dehydrated and get muscle cramps WHICH SUCK SO HARD - my cure - 1 tsp himilayan pink salt a day. lets me get rid of the water and keep the vitamins - of course, consult with your doctor if your worried about sodium - its a nonissue for me but appears to be a big issue for others.

_Terrapin_

walk up the banana section...heheh..okay seriously...salmon, sweet potato, or Idaho 100 potato....next caller

SbetaK

[/quote]

(Quote from above:) "I don't know what your diet is like, but as long as you eat a lot of whole foods such as fruits, veggies, and meat products, you'll be fine on potassium. If you eat mostly processed stuff it will be harder. A lot of foods in the database don't have potassium labelled so it's tough - but things like potatoes, coconut water, fish, mushrooms, avocados, dark leafy greens - those are your best bet!"
[/quote]

The best news lately it that there is a proposal to revamp food nutrition labels with potassium content to be required on the labels. We all wing it now with googled lists, but this will be great if/when it happens:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/health/nutrition-labels-changes/index.html?hpt=he_c1

susannamarie

I recently found out that my diet contains NO potassium. Not 1 mg. So I went to buy a supplement. MFP suggests getting 3500mg of potassium a day. The only supplement for sale is 50 mg?!! WFT?! What am I supposed to do, chug a bottle a day?! Apparently, if you want more you have to see a doc and get a scrip because people OD on it all the time.

The foods highest in potassium are:

Per 100 grams

1. White Beans = 561 mg
2. Spinach( and other dark leafy greens) = 558 mg
3. Potato (WITH SKIN!!) = 535 mg
4. Dried Apricots = 1162mg
5 Salmon = 628 mg


Bananas actually rank at the bottom of the list at a measly 358 mg per 100g.

Potassium is found in dairy (although in minute quantities in butter and cheese), meat, vegetables, fruits, and grains. What do you eat?!

Since potassium is not required to be on food labels many entries in the database do not include it. I would consider it far more likely that you've simply happened to pick those entries.

_Terrapin_

I recently found out that my diet contains NO potassium. Not 1 mg. So I went to buy a supplement. MFP suggests getting 3500mg of potassium a day. The only supplement for sale is 50 mg?!! WFT?! What am I supposed to do, chug a bottle a day?! Apparently, if you want more you have to see a doc and get a scrip because people OD on it all the time.

The foods highest in potassium are:

Per 100 grams

1. White Beans = 561 mg
2. Spinach( and other dark leafy greens) = 558 mg
3. Potato (WITH SKIN!!) = 535 mg
4. Dried Apricots = 1162mg
5 Salmon = 628 mg


Bananas actually rank at the bottom of the list at a measly 358 mg per 100g.

Potassium is found in dairy (although in minute quantities in butter and cheese), meat, vegetables, fruits, and grains. What do you eat?!

Since potassium is not required to be on food labels many entries in the database do not include it. I would consider it far more likely that you've simply happened to pick those entries.

Several years away but labels will change to reflect potassium content of the food; they are removing Vitamin A and C content. FDA indicates it is several years away though

JalynRose1

Thanks for your input. I'm a vegetarian so I eat plenty of whole foods and vegetables, but no meat. I have not eaten much processed food since I began my diet a couple weeks ago. That is interesting that potassium is not always listed in the nutrition info for food on the site! Maybe that is part of the problem.

JalynRose1

I am considering a supplement. I've read that you should couple a potassium supplement with magnesium supplement as magnesium helps your body absorb other nutrients.

JalynRose1

This is exactly what I was finding when I was researching them!

JalynRose1

That's interesting to know. Thanks for your input!