potassium. how can i get more into my diet.

suewongie

Hi everyone, Just wondered if anyone has high bp? if so do you have any tips as to what to eat to reduce it? i have heard that increasing potassium could be beneficial, so if anyone knows any good ways to do this i would be really grateful. Thanks, Sue.

gnoccola

Bananas. One of them has about 1/4 of the potassium you need in a day.
Potassium is really important if you do sport to help reduce muscle cramps. Also, potassium is one of the chemical that the brain uses to perform synapses within neurons, so you need plenty to keep your brain in good shape.
On the other hand, too much potassium is toxic, that's why there is none in multi-vitamins. If you have a deficit, your doctor should prescribe it for you.
So, the daily amount is the right amount. Don't go over, but don't be too low.

ZoayZoay

Hmmm. Agree that a high blood potassium level is a bad thing - but you won't get that from eating potassium rich foods. "Lo-salt" substitutes potassium for sodium so people using that eat buckets of the stuff.

Tomatoes are the other potassium rich food that leap to mind - nice and low in calories and rich in lycopenes (?sp) as a bonus.

Just remember - don't drop your lump of potassium into a swimming pool, kids

imcsqrd

I'll qualify this reply with the statement that I'm not a doctor, so take my advice as you will. From my mom's saga with high bp that the cause of was missed, learned as much as I could to help her, but found the necessary help for her too late. Most high bp is caused by narrowing or arteries, veins, etc. The good Lord put some natural artery cleaners out there - primary one is Vitamin E. The tocotrienol part of Vitamin E slowly dissolves arterial plaque/cholesterol back into the blood stream to be elimnated. I recommend a hgh quality Vitamin E (Twin Labs is a good brand) that has the tocotrienols as well as the tocopherols. The dry is better than the oil, but if you get the oil, be sure and keep it in the frig. That being said, drinks with electrolytes in them will have potassium as well. Just watch the sugar/calorie count and maybe divide one up throughout the day. I personally drink Trader Joe's Electrolyte water (0 calories!) but do not know if you have one near you. There is more I could share if you are interested, friend me and we'll continue the discussion.

annabellio

bananas and avocados !

lovejoydavid

Hi everyone, Just wondered if anyone has high bp? if so do you have any tips as to what to eat to reduce it? i have heard that increasing potassium could be beneficial, so if anyone knows any good ways to do this i would be really grateful. Thanks, Sue.

It is a little bit of a challenge. The DASH diet was created by the NIH primarily for the reduction of hypertension, and potassium intake is part of the prescription. Apparently, it has some capacity to blunt the effects of sodium. The advised levels, though, are 4700 mgs a day, which is a far cry from the intake of most people. As well, the levels have to be gotten from foods, potassium supplements do not seem to work. If your kidneys are heathly, you do not have to worry about the excess levels, what is not pressed into the cells (Potassium is primarly an intracellular cation) will just be cleared through the urine (tiny amount in stool and sweat). Other than in potassium sparing diuretics and large prescriptive oral doses (pills), the only time we see hyperkalemia (high potassium) is in kidney failure patients.

I get most of my potassium from: fat free milk, cantaloupe (any muskmelon, really), low sodium tomato juice, sweet potato (all potatos, actually), avocado, dried fruits, and coconut water. You really have to look, though, as most labels will not include the potasium levels in the data.

suewongie

thanks all for your responses, they were really useful.

prestofitness

V8 Low Sodium Vegetable Juice has 830 MG of Potassium per 8 OZ and the V8 Spicy Hot Low Sodium has 1000 MG per 8 OZ of potassium. Bananas usually have around 400-450 MG of potassium but double the calories. I drink about 4 8 OZ glasses of low sodium V8 spread throughout the day to try to meet the daily recommended intake of potassium. Some people would disagree about taking in V8 as a means of getting potassium in compared to eating whole foods but it sure is better than not getting it from any source at all. They also make potassium supplements which you can take throughout the day, they only allow 99 MG max in the potassium capsule substitutes so taking a couple throughout the day in as well, you can get an extra 100-500 MG. Hope this helps!

bearroller

bump

Kalynx

if you have high blood pressure you shold probably make sure to watch your sodium. A healthy adult under 55 at the highest should consume 2300-2500 mg or less per day. Potassium and sodium work together in the body, so I can see how if you increased potassium you would be able to get rid of more sodium, but its much easier just not to skyrocket on the sodium. Good luck!

prism6

Cherry tomatos

DAM_Fine

Thought this might help you find sources - interesting slideshow.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/potassium-superfoods-47020908

hollyberry2012

When my feet cramp from losing water fast, I take three or four potassium supplements..and the cramps stop altogether.. Works faster than a banana for me. But I ate my first avocado the other day and noticed MFP database said it was high in potassium, too. I was reading all the posts and wondering if anyone knew the science of how potassium and sodium work in the body, how they effect each other.

sgoldman328

Avocados have a ton of potassium, so do dried apricots and veggies.

I also use Morton's Salt Substitute, which is made from Potassium Chloride (instead of Sodium Chloride)

Good luck!

Stephanie


http://collegecookingandironchefamerica.blogspot.com/

bcattoes

Cooked tomato products (tomato juice, sauce, paste, etc.) are one of the best sources. One can of V8 (11.5 oz) has 1180 mg of potassium. Beet greens are also very high. Beans are a good source. Check out this link for a list of foods and their potassium content. I wouldn't try to track it here though, because many foods don't list potassium on the label.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w306.pdf

monicalynne68

Be careful. Potassium is one of those electrolytes that in high amounts can be very harmful and the window of what is in "normal window is very small. Too high you can get heart arrhythmia, too low you could have a heart attack. Don't try to supplement it yourself. See your doctor.

jb_2011

Here is some great info on potassium and a foods chart at the bottom of the page.

http://www.krispin.com/potassm.html

Low Sodium V8 juice is excellent, so are dark leafy greens.

Potassium supplements are NOT recommended!

allie_girl

Coconut water - Vita coconut makes a lot of different flavors if you can't handle plain.

I had a calf cramping issue which was due to lack of potassium ... drank coconut water for 3 days, pain was gone! It was great - and I love it as a little snack here and there (about 70 cals a drink) - peach mango was great!

aquasw16

I can tell you what NOT to eat: high sodium foods: Chips, sodas, prepackaged foods etc. You SHOULD eat fruits and veggies, lean meats (not processed!), whole foods

anorrybot

Coconut water. It's only 60 calories per drink. Make sure you buy organic 100% coconut water with no sugar added. I like O.N.E. Coconut Water, 11.2-Ounce Aseptic Containers (Pack of 12) sold on Amazon.com. However, you have to like coconut water and may take a bit to get used to. I love it and grew up drinking coconut water. It's a natural sports drink that doesn't contain the sodium that other sports drinks contain. Unless you plan to run a marathon or exercise for over one hour of pure cardio, you don't need the sodium you lost. Oh and you get 670 mg of potassium per drink.

clariangel

I have high BP, and my docs checks my potassium levels regularly. Whenever it gets below 4.0, he tells me to eat more oranages. I can't digest bananas well, so I go with oranges instead. Once my potassium got below 2.5, and eating 1 orange every day for 2 weeks got my potassium back to 4.5 natually. but other posters are correct, you don't want to get your potassium level too high. However, I haven't had any issue eating an orange everyday, so i would think that's safe.

Dawny75

google potassium rich diets (but I agree with other postings here... potassium is an element, affecting many different things - smooth muscle contractility, heart rhythm etc) so you do need to be careful. The only way to diagnose a low potassium is blood work (and there may be other things out of sort when your potassium is low). Potassium does not directly reduce your blood pressure.

If you are looking at the relationship between blood pressure and electrolytes, you need to be looking at sodium. When you eat sodium rich foods, your body holds onto extra 'water'. This directly increases your blood pressure. It is transient, unless you have a chronic condition in which your sodium might be high (again, you need to look at your blood work). Magnesium, and Calcium, Caffeine, and tons of other elements, electrolytes play a role in balancing your body's function(s).

Talk to your doctor, and have your blood work drawn.

hollyberry2012

Be careful. Potassium is one of those electrolytes that in high amounts can be very harmful and the window of what is in "normal window is very small. Too high you can get heart arrhythmia, too low you could have a heart attack. Don't try to supplement it yourself. See your doctor.

That's why supplements only contain 3% of your daily value. You are not likely to leave the window ..at least not by much.

ImSoPerfectlyFlawed

mine comes from bananas and orange juice

Dawny75

When my feet cramp from losing water fast, I take three or four potassium supplements..and the cramps stop altogether.. Works faster than a banana for me. But I ate my first avocado the other day and noticed MFP database said it was high in potassium, too. I was reading all the posts and wondering if anyone knew the science of how potassium and sodium work in the body, how they effect each other.

Now that is a very dry topic when you get into it. You are talking about electrolytes and how their relationship(s) to each other. This is a seriously complex question, there would be numerous THICK textbooks out there to cover discussing each electrolyte and their functions within the body. They do relate to each other (but these relationships might be different under the cover of different situations. For example, they play a role in cellular functions on a second to second basis. They also play a role in smooth muscle contractility (heart beats etc), They play a role in blood pressure, metabolism, kidney function (every organ function in the body). They are affected by countless variables (dehyrdration, fever, infection, injury, illness, diet, medications, environment, genetics... etc).