Potassium??

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bsouth21
bsouth21 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone find it hard to hit your potassium goal? A banana only has like 10% of my goal for potassium. I find it really hard to hit that goal and stay under my calorie goal.

Anyone have this same problem? And if so, what did you do? I've considered potassium pills, but there is so many different types (ex: potassium nitrate, citrate, gluconate)... have no idea which route to go.

Thanks.

Replies

  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    Does anyone find it hard to hit your potassium goal? A banana only has like 10% of my goal for potassium. I find it really hard to hit that goal and stay under my calorie goal.

    Anyone have this same problem? And if so, what did you do? I've considered potassium pills, but there is so many different types (ex: potassium nitrate, citrate, gluconate)... have no idea which route to go.

    Thanks.

    Many foods HAVE potassium in them, but do not have it listed. I would not supplement without the guidance of a doctor. I am on a prescription supplement of potassium citrate. I have a history of kidney stones, and my urologist did a 24 hour urine test and determined that my potassium levels were too low....
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Many vegetables have potassium, so if you eat more vegetables, you'll be getting closer to your potassium goal. Potatoes, for example, are a great source. Check out http://nutritiondata.self.com if you want to find which foods have the most. I also wouldn't try supplementing potassium without medical advice as it's dangerous to get too much.

    I don't know about in the US, but in the UK, packaged foods rarely have potassium levels listed, so most user-added entries in the MFP database are probably missing potassium values.
  • shullrd
    shullrd Posts: 29
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    I used to be really worried about this, but then like someone else posted, I realized a lot of foods do not have the correct amount (or any) of potassium listed. If you are only worried, because it says you didn't hit that goal, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you are having signs of a potassium deficiency, however, I would speak to your physician about it before supplementing.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Thanks for the reminder. I have a banana I need to eat today. At least half of one. I don't get nearly enough potassium.
  • ChinniP
    ChinniP Posts: 166 Member
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    Coconut water is loaded with potassium and super hydrating and yummy too!
  • bsouth21
    bsouth21 Posts: 3
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    I tried Coconut water but i wasn't to fond of it. I guess i'm picky though! Maybe i'll try fighting it down.

    For the rest of the advice, thank you guys very much.
  • h822
    h822 Posts: 6
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    Many vegetables have potassium, so if you eat more vegetables, you'll be getting closer to your potassium goal. Potatoes, for example, are a great source. Check out http://nutritiondata.self.com if you want to find which foods have the most. I also wouldn't try supplementing potassium without medical advice as it's dangerous to get too much.

    I don't know about in the US, but in the UK, packaged foods rarely have potassium levels listed, so most user-added entries in the MFP database are probably missing potassium values.

    Another site that can be useful for potassium content of foods is http://foodhealth.info/potassiumrichfoods/ . Each food's potassium content is compared with that in banana and you can sort the whole or a category or some of the database. For example, raw broccoli has almost as much potassium as banana (90%) while orange has only half of banana's potassium ounce for ounce comparison.
  • SeaJenni
    SeaJenni Posts: 211 Member
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    It's a false low because the potassium wasn't entered correctly in the database for a lot of foods. You'll have to do your own research and keep track separate or make new entries.
  • Reber1216
    Reber1216 Posts: 2
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    Coffee is a pretty good source of potassium. It has about 116 mg per cup. Adds up nicely when you have 8 cups or so a day like I do.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    Bananas are not actually a great source of potassium per weight. Check things like spinach and other vegetables.
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
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    try low sodium V8 juice

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