sodium vs. potassium

Dudagarcia

Thank u cmpierce so much no I don't have health issues am not on any meds I'm definitely seeing doctor tomorrow again thank u for all the good advice I will let u know what happens

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

I don't remember specifics, but I kind of remember learning about a Sodium Potassium pump in my high school AP Biology class. In order for it to work properly, it did need a good ratio of sodium and potassium to work. Like I said, I don't remember specifics because it's been so long, but yeah.

Sisnjrn

Just a warning... Potassium can be a real problem in excess quantities. Too much or too little potassium can cause fatal heart arrhythmia. Be careful with Salt Substitutes that replace Sodium with Potassium. Also, don't get an idea to mega dose with Potassium supplements to offset Sodium intake. Keep in mind there are certain medicines that can cause the body to conserve Potassium, such as ACE Inhibitors (a common family of Blood Pressure medicines). If you are taking an ACEI, they come with the instruction to monitor Potassium levels and avoid too much Potassium in the diet. I think if your source for micronutrients is food and not supplements it will be a safer bet. For example, magnesium supplements will give you diarrhea

My bottom line here is that consuming your RDA for Sodium and Potassium (and any other micro or macronutrient), eating your recommended amount of calories and exercising responsibly is all you need to lose weight. Things can get dangerous when you mess around with your electrolytes. Keep it simple...

Sisnjrn

I agree ... when one starts to play with more than the RDA ... then they need to study the affects of it or talk to a doctor before they start playing with it.... in this case ... more of either is not better and less is not good either.... RDA is key. Heart meds also do play a role in wasting of these meds ... either way they are key to maintaining electrical activity in your heart ... too little or too much affects the pump! Like anything ... all this advice sounds good but research and speak with your doctor first.

DBB07

Quite honestly, I'd lay 100 to 1 odds that 90% of the American public doesn't take in the RDA of 4,700 mg for potassium: they'd have to eat the equivalent of 5 giant baked potatoes (with the skin) or 10 bananas to do so. Most other so-called rich sources include amounts that are even more negligible.

ninerbuff

Sodium gets a bad rap because of water retention. In reality, sodium tracking isn't really needed unless someone is suffering from high blood pressure or has heart disease. To offset the water retention..............drink more water. If you're eating a balanced diet, then one doesn't need to do much to try to balance out sodium/potassium ratios. The body will do it on it's own. Millions of Asians can't be wrong.

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skinnybearlyndsay

Funny...my sister read an article to me yesterday while I was driving from Cooking Light about this topic. A 1:1 ratio is a good thing to strive for. An issue that I remember from the article (as I was driving) is that potassium is not considered a mandatory nutrient on food packaging. However, I've noticed that a lot more food companies are providing this information on packaging.

And yes, bananas are not the only source. There are tons of foods with more potassium than bananas...avocados, beans, cantaloupe.

UsedToBeHusky

Potassium is awesome! Some other great sources:

Low-sodium canned tomatoes
Dried beans
Sugar-free or reduced sugar orange juice
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Non-fat milk

KANGOOJUMPS

SO TRUE!!!!,, this is great!, i am big on potassium in foods!,

sseettlleejjee

Thanks! This is very interesting. I have an issue with my ear when I eat too much sodium. Anything to help with this is appreciated.

I am going to Google sources of potassium.

alasin1derland

bump

FitLink

I'm sure it's been covered here before, but I just wanted to share my "breakthrough"

my wife is Nurse in a cardiac functions clinic and therefore deals with people having congestive heart failure...one of the things that is a big warning sign is a large weight gain over a short period of time (5lbs over 1 or 2 days)
This is almost always caused by a high sodium diet and the body not being able to process it.

The key to help counteract sodium retention is....Potassium.

More or less (bear with me, I'm just a car guy trying to understand nurse stuff) sodium is a moisture sponge in your body and potassium is what wrings out that sponge.

The day I started to understand the relationship, I started to more consistantly lose weight (and understand why when I ate a crappy pizza, it took me a week to shake off the sodium)

needless to say, I now try to maintain as close to 1:1 ratio of sodium to potassium intake....it's not simple as sodium is much easier to come by in massive quantities, but with some research and practice, it's for sure possible.

happy fitnessing.

p.s. bananas aren't the sole source of potassium.....google that ****.

This is a serious oversimplification, and one that could be dangerous. The rapid "weight gain" of CHF is water retention, and sodium can cause some water retention, but that's not why you retain water in CHF. Why a CHF patient is on a sodium restricted diet is to prevent more water from being retained than already is from the CHF. And a CHF patient should not mess with electrolyte balance, like by taking extra potassium or magnesium, without specific instruction from their cardiologist! The rest of us can't reduce our water retention by eating potassium 1:1 with sodium. Electrolytes aren't that simple.

Weight loss isn't about the water you retain from sodium consumption, it's about fat loss, and that isn't mediated by electrolytes.

If anything, magnesium is more related to weight regulation than sodium or potassium. Inadequate intake of magnesium has been linked to obesity. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/9362

brittaney_lee

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orangecrayon

Interesting. I'd just been stumbling upon my higher-potassium level foods! Thanks so much!

TArnold2012

Baked potatoes are a good supple of potassium Squash also. I usually have a banana daily and then add to it with the others.

carld256

My Mom was in the hospital for something else and had a seizure due to low potassium. That's the first I'd ever heard of such a thing. I've been taking a small daily potassium supplement for a while now.

Dudagarcia

Saw doctor yesterday and she did blood & urine test and put me on magnesium. Won't know results til Wed or Thurs. and it can't come soon enough. My blood pressure was high (never had that before) but I guess it's to be expected with my body under stress from the pain. What is wrong with me!! I just gotta be patient now, I know. Will let u know what the results were.

Di3012

I'm sure it's been covered here before, but I just wanted to share my "breakthrough"

my wife is Nurse in a cardiac functions clinic and therefore deals with people having congestive heart failure...one of the things that is a big warning sign is a large weight gain over a short period of time (5lbs over 1 or 2 days)
This is almost always caused by a high sodium diet and the body not being able to process it.

The key to help counteract sodium retention is....Potassium.

More or less (bear with me, I'm just a car guy trying to understand nurse stuff) sodium is a moisture sponge in your body and potassium is what wrings out that sponge.

The day I started to understand the relationship, I started to more consistantly lose weight (and understand why when I ate a crappy pizza, it took me a week to shake off the sodium)

needless to say, I now try to maintain as close to 1:1 ratio of sodium to potassium intake....it's not simple as sodium is much easier to come by in massive quantities, but with some research and practice, it's for sure possible.

happy fitnessing.

p.s. bananas aren't the sole source of potassium.....google that ****.

VERY interesting OP!

I don't keep tabs on my potassium intake, they don't seem to stick the amount in the food in the UK for that, but what you are saying there is very intriguing!

Potassium is also used to keep the heart beating, very important mineral.

Good topic!!!

Dudagarcia

Well got my lab results and everything is good. Saw the doctor yesterday and after a brief history of myself and examination he did he said I have over extended myself in wo and wants me to cut back some. He says knowing me I've pushed myself (he's right). I remember there were a few times I walked the neighborhood twice just after mowing my lawn and that's about the time it started. Said walking on pavement is very different in how we step. So I'll be cutting back. My legs & thighs are sore and just don't wanna take too many pain killers. Any suggestions?

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions and have a great weekend!

paulsmisses

really interesting, love picking up these wee nuggets of info!!