sodium vs. potassium

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  • alasin1derland
    alasin1derland Posts: 575 Member
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    bump
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    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 ****. :D

    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
    brittaney_lee Posts: 14 Member
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    .
  • orangecrayon
    orangecrayon Posts: 293 Member
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    Interesting. I'd just been stumbling upon my higher-potassium level foods! Thanks so much!
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
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    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
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    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
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
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    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
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    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 ****. :D

    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
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
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    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
    paulsmisses Posts: 178
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    really interesting, love picking up these wee nuggets of info!!

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