Anyone with low potassium?

locaoca
locaoca Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have had low potassium for a while now but, doctor called and told me that it was severely low and and upped the dosage from one pill (Rx) to FOUR! :noway:

If you have low potassium, what do you eat that helps up it? I am on a Keto diet so preferably nothing with a lot of carbs. I would appreciate any thoughts though.

Replies

  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    I'm usually low in potassium as well, but not to the point of needing a prescription supplement. I would imagine your keto diet is exasperating the condition. Have you tried adding salmon to your diet?
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    I'm usually low in potassium as well, but not to the point of needing a prescription supplement. I would imagine your keto diet is exasperating the condition. Have you tried adding salmon to your diet?

    I eat salmon like once a week. But I could eat it more because I really like it.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Your Keto diet is hurting you. Potatoes, milk and bananas are the best sources of potassium. You could try coconut water, shrimp, broccoli and tomatoes. Also regular yogurt but not Greek and if you can find Vitamin Water Zero Revive. I get muscle cramps if I do not get enough potassium so I track it and make sure to get at least 3,000mg. OTC supplements are only 99mg so I do not bother.
  • Paco4gsc
    Paco4gsc Posts: 119 Member
    Try mushrooms. Portobella has about 300 - 400mg of potassium per cap and only 20ish calories and <5g of carbs.
  • drinknderive
    drinknderive Posts: 28 Member
    Coconut water is a great source of potassium, but, yes, it has a lot of sugar.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    Low sodium V-8 has a ton of potassium in it. I have to keep my potassium levels up or I suffer from heart palpatations.
  • Cynde78
    Cynde78 Posts: 2
    Lots of bananas helps
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    Coconut water is a great source of potassium, but, yes, it has a lot of sugar.

    Would coconut water straight from the coconut work? It should have less sugar that way and I have coconut trees.
  • bonniecarbs
    bonniecarbs Posts: 446 Member
    Me - high blood pressure, low potassium. I lick 1/8 teaspoon of salt substitute twice a day. If I need something salted, I use it for salt. Been doing that for the last 15 years to keep my potassium and pressure in check. It taste like salt to me now. Doctor said it was fine for me, cause he was one who hated to prescribe pills for everything.
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    Thank you everyone I will try all the ideas .
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    I assume you changed your MFP settings so you can track your potassium levels? Low carb diets can throw your electrolytes out of balance, so it is a good idea to track them.
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
    I made myself a little cheat sheet of high potassium foods, and some good low-carb high potassium foods:
    Many kinds of fish, beef, poultry, pork
    Dairy
    Strawberries and raspberries
    Almonds
    Many veggies: avocados, tomatoes, basil, squash, artichoke, spinach, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, greens, pumpkin, swiss chard

    Just for reference, 3 oz. of halibut has more potassium than a banana, and an avocado has about as much potassium as 3/4 cup of potatoes. There are certain medical conditions that require eating low potassium, if you google low potassium diet you will get a handy list of what they are NOT supposed to eat, which is a nice high-potassium guide for the rest of us.
  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    I assume you changed your MFP settings so you can track your potassium levels? Low carb diets can throw your electrolytes out of balance, so it is a good idea to track them.

    It would do little good, as potassium content is optional on food labels :(
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Low sodium v8 doesn't have a huge amount of carbs, neither do beet greens. They're both very high in potassium.
  • eponine1976
    eponine1976 Posts: 143 Member
    I'm severely potassium deficient too and am on supplements. I'm not sure if chemo and my other cancer treatments has contributed to the deficiency or not but it is bad enough that I get bad leg cramps and even heart palpitations when it gets really low. The first time I got heart palpitations I went to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack or something. Turns out the only thing wrong was bad potassium deficiency and they gave me a bunch in the ER and suddenly I was fine. I eat sweet potatoes, bananas and use No-Salt instead of regular salt since the No-Salt has lots of potassium in it. I still need the pill supplements though. It would be nice if more food labels listed potassium so I could track it more easily in my food diary.
  • cathyg321
    cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
    For this very reason, I have been drinking Orange Juice sometimes twice a day. I cup of orange juice contains 450mg of potassium. Not sure if or how that would work for you...
  • matyoung125
    matyoung125 Posts: 72 Member
    Do you have Lo-Salt in the USA? It's a low sodium salt that contains 66% potassium chloride
  • nauner
    nauner Posts: 15 Member
    Watch your Magnesium too, your body wont absorb and hold the potassium if your magnesium levels are low.
  • roflsauce
    roflsauce Posts: 21
    Try "lite salt" or whatever it's called where you live. It's a salt that has minerals (magnesium & potassium). Eat avocados they have 600mg of potassium for every 100g.
  • roflsauce
    roflsauce Posts: 21
    Your Keto diet is hurting you. Potatoes, milk and bananas are the best sources of potassium. You could try coconut water, shrimp, broccoli and tomatoes. Also regular yogurt but not Greek and if you can find Vitamin Water Zero Revive. I get muscle cramps if I do not get enough potassium so I track it and make sure to get at least 3,000mg. OTC supplements are only 99mg so I do not bother.

    The keto diet isn't hurting her. You just need to be informed of what you can eat to substitute what you're missing. I eat a vitamin supplement just because really, I would use it on any diet I would be on because I am eating less food, less food = less vitamins & minerals. Also Avocados has more potassium than bananas.

    You will find more than enough vitamins and minerals in vegetables and fish, broccoli for example has more vitamin C than oranges.

    Bananas: 395mg of potassium per 100g
    Avocados: 600mg of potassium per 100g
    Brocolli: 332mg of potassium per 100g
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I have had low potassium for a while now but, doctor called and told me that it was severely low and and upped the dosage from one pill (Rx) to FOUR! :noway:

    If you have low potassium, what do you eat that helps up it? I am on a Keto diet so preferably nothing with a lot of carbs. I would appreciate any thoughts though.

    Unfortunately for you, two foods which are excellent for Potassium are high in carbs - bananas and potatoes.

    Potassium is an essential mineral, it is extremely difficult to not get enough in the day, if you are that low and the doctor has put you on that high a dosage, you are seriously lacking in Potassium in your diet.

    Potassium is the mineral that regulates the heartrate and lack of it has been the cause of some deaths due to certain diets.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I assume you changed your MFP settings so you can track your potassium levels? Low carb diets can throw your electrolytes out of balance, so it is a good idea to track them.

    It would do little good, as potassium content is optional on food labels :(

    I find that annoying that it isn't labelled on food, for something so important it is a mystery why it is not shown :(
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
    I assume you changed your MFP settings so you can track your potassium levels? Low carb diets can throw your electrolytes out of balance, so it is a good idea to track them.

    It would do little good, as potassium content is optional on food labels :(

    Im tracking potassium. It just takes a little more effort to get started. I often google for potassium content in the foods I eat.

    OP feel free to check my & my friend's diaries - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/SanteMulberry (she is knowledgeable and helpful)
  • js3013
    js3013 Posts: 7 Member
    Neither of these contain tons of potassium, you'll still need other sources, but MFP says that I get 170 mg from a variation of bulletproof coffee that I make. 8 oz unsweetened almond milk, 6 oz coffee, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and chocolate stevia to taste. Make sure the coffee is hot and blend it. This has 1 net carb. It is rather high calorie (290) but this is my breakfast.

    I also get 22 mg of potassium according to MFP from an apple cider vinegar drink. Make sure to use the raw apple cider vinegar with the "mother" in it and shake it well. I drink two tablespoons in a sixteen ounce glass of water with berry flavored stevia to taste. This contains no carbs at all.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    bananas are the best!
  • acemanx
    acemanx Posts: 1
    Honestly, from the research I've been able to find, we need anywhere from 3500 to 4500mg of potassium a day on our keto diet. I've been using our myfitnesspal app to keep track, basically in the morning with my breakfast I pour 3 servings of salt substitute I found at Kroger that rocks 630mg each serving into 12 oz water and down it, the repeat at night, voila 3700mg potassium. We also need sodium, and a lot of it, 5000mg, and magnesium, 400mg. I do the same with salt, and only do 2 servings for a total of 1100mg, plus the 3500 I ingest with foods, drinks, and salt on my food during the day, and a single magnesium pill for my 400mg.. That's how i get my electrolytes ;)
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    Tomato paste and tomato sauces are especially high in Potassium. And, throw away your regular table salt (Sodium Chloride), and buy a Sodium-free substitute (Potassium Chloride) for use at home.

    Also, just do a Google search on Potassium foods.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I have had low potassium for a while now but, doctor called and told me that it was severely low and and upped the dosage from one pill (Rx) to FOUR! :noway:

    If you have low potassium, what do you eat that helps up it? I am on a Keto diet so preferably nothing with a lot of carbs. I would appreciate any thoughts though.

    Potassium is for the regulation of heartbeat, it is extremely dangerous to have low Potassium in one's body.

    Bananas, potatoes, eggs and salmon are good sources of potassium.

    I appreciate the diet you are on but ask youself this, if that same diet has caused you to be low on Potassium, then is it a good diet?

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