potassium

Over six weeks I've been logging, I haven't once been near my red line for potassium. On average, I am running at about 1/3. I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, am generally on track for everything else. How important is this? Should I consider supplements? Is there any negative considerations for daily potassium supplements?
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Replies

  • seever
    seever Posts: 30
    anyone?
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    I'm the same. I think that most of the entries in the food database don't have potassium info listed. So I have a feeling we're getting more than we think we are, it's just not showing up in our diaries.
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    Potassium is not required on labels, therefore many entries won't have them listed because the nutrition information is not given to them on the packaging. You are getting more than you think you are.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Look for entries that have no * (asterisk) next to them. Those entries include potassium numbers. Meat, coffee, vegetables, pretty much everything has some potassium. I posted something like this and when I started logging more correct entries, I discovered that I was getting in plenty. My diary is open if you want some ideas.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Look for entries that have no * (asterisk) next to them. Those entries include potassium numbers. Meat, coffee, vegetables, pretty much everything has some potassium. I posted something like this and when I started logging more correct entries, I discovered that I was getting in plenty. My diary is open if you want some ideas.

    I'm pretty sure the ones with asterisks are more to call attention the measurements being grams/ounces (weighable). It has no impact on the potassium entry.

    As others have said, a majority of foods don't require or include the potassium information on them so until they do, really no way to figure it out unless you stick to entering your own foods via the recipes or eating foods that have that info. If concerned, you could look into potassium supplements.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    I'm pretty sure the ones with asterisks are more to call attention the measurements being grams/ounces (weighable). It has no impact on the potassium entry.

    As others have said, a majority of foods don't require or include the potassium information on them so until they do, really no way to figure it out unless you stick to entering your own foods via the recipes or eating foods that have that info. If concerned, you could look into potassium supplements.

    the entries without the asterisk was entered by the MFP creators and not members. Different people enter things differently to track different thigns and I also believe that some brands put out regional variants of their products, maybe due to sourcing of ingredients, but I find most of the MFP generated entries are correct to my products where others are not.

    Some of them I have to laugh and just think...who are you fooling? No way do M&M's have 10 calories per ounce! lol It's safest. I tend to add my own if I can't find anything already there that matches my packaging. Once you add from your regular brand, you can reuse it from your "MY FOOD" tab in your diary. Unfortuanately the minerals and vitamins are not required on packaging probably because if people could see at a glance that what they are eating has no nutritional value they wouldn't buy it.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I'm pretty sure the ones with asterisks are more to call attention the measurements being grams/ounces (weighable). It has no impact on the potassium entry.

    As others have said, a majority of foods don't require or include the potassium information on them so until they do, really no way to figure it out unless you stick to entering your own foods via the recipes or eating foods that have that info. If concerned, you could look into potassium supplements.

    the entries without the asterisk was entered by the MFP creators and not members. Different people enter things differently to track different thigns and I also believe that some brands put out regional variants of their products, maybe due to sourcing of ingredients, but I find most of the MFP generated entries are correct to my products where others are not.

    Some of them I have to laugh and just think...who are you fooling? No way do M&M's have 10 calories per ounce! lol It's safest. I tend to add my own if I can't find anything already there that matches my packaging. Once you add from your regular brand, you can reuse it from your "MY FOOD" tab in your diary. Unfortuanately the minerals and vitamins are not required on packaging probably because if people could see at a glance that what they are eating has no nutritional value they wouldn't buy it.

    No, I've seen user entered foods without asterisks, so saying that non-asterisk entered food is done by staff is incorrect.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Even when potassium is listed on the label, few people enter it into the DB.
  • 1pandabear
    1pandabear Posts: 336 Member
    ok some foods high in K+ include
    white beans
    salmon
    yogurt
    spinach and chard
    sweet and also white potato
    dried apricot
    acorn squash
    avocado
    mushroom
    banana
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I'm pretty certain that you're undercounting it. That's quite common and unless your doctor tests you and finds that you have a deficiency I wouldn't worry about it. At all.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    The non asterisk entries are MFP entries, which are taken from the USDA. All user entries have an asterisk.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    The non asterisk entries are MFP entries, which are taken from the USDA. All user entries have an asterisk.

    *sigh* Whatever. I'll just assume that for some reason MFP Staff are entering brands of cereal with different types of milk and fruit already in it and other random combinations. Oh look. Semen and jizz without asterisks! but wait, why is staff entering these things! Wow. Commitment. Well, carry on then and hi5 MFP staff.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    No, I've seen user entered foods without asterisks, so saying that non-asterisk entered food is done by staff is incorrect.

    posted right below the search results box on diary entry shows this:
    * = Nutritional information provided by another MyFitnessPal member

    therefore, no asteric means provided by MFP company people from a standard souce (probably usda website) not that they're just making it up off products they use.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    The non asterisk entries are MFP entries, which are taken from the USDA. All user entries have an asterisk.

    *sigh* Whatever. I'll just assume that for some reason MFP Staff are entering brands of cereal with different types of milk and fruit already in it and other random combinations. Oh look. Semen and jizz without asterisks! but wait, why is staff entering these things! Wow. Commitment. Well, carry on then and hi5 MFP staff.

    provide an item for reference. We're only going by what we are told on the website by it's creators. Unless people are hacking the system, I don't know of a way to enter items without an asterisk. If you do, please share so that we can all be enlightened and the wiser regarding what we are logging.

    for what it's worth, it's all just estimates anyway. How much of what the USDA says can we truly trust anyway? but that's a matter for another board :)
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    V8 juice provides a lot of potassium in one cup.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    LOL. Hungry people getting their panties in a twist over nothing. Trust me, I know the feeling.
  • This is a serious problem if potassium is not listed. I am on a diet for kidney patients and it is crucial I monitor my daily potassium AND phosphorus limits. If I do it incorrectly I will end up back on dialysis which is torture. Maybe fitnesspal.com is the wrong program because it doesn't list these. Does anyone know a program that will list the phosphorus and potassium? I can't make errors, I HAVE TO STAY OFF DIALYSIS. Can anyone help? Thank you!
  • tturley
    tturley Posts: 73 Member
    Ditto on V8 Juice. 640mg in a 12 oz can. Potatoes & OJ have a lot too.
  • SephiraRose
    SephiraRose Posts: 766 Member
    Spinach, kale, broccoli, bananas and grapefruit are great sources of potassium.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Over six weeks I've been logging, I haven't once been near my red line for potassium. On average, I am running at about 1/3. I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, am generally on track for everything else. How important is this? Should I consider supplements? Is there any negative considerations for daily potassium supplements?

    If you're worried, go to the doctor and ask them to check your potassium level. This is the only way to check for a deficiency.

    In the meantime, eat bananas.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    This is a serious problem if potassium is not listed. I am on a diet for kidney patients and it is crucial I monitor my daily potassium AND phosphorus limits. If I do it incorrectly I will end up back on dialysis which is torture. Maybe fitnesspal.com is the wrong program because it doesn't list these. Does anyone know a program that will list the phosphorus and potassium? I can't make errors, I HAVE TO STAY OFF DIALYSIS. Can anyone help? Thank you!

    You could enter the foods you eat regularly, but I don't know if you can find the potassium information on manufactured products. You can refer to the usda website when adding your food items and then they will show up in your MY FOODS tab to use when adding to your diary. Then if you have the K info, you an add it and be better able to monitor. Not really sure how else to do that since it's not even provided on all foods as part of the nutrition label. If you eat mostly whole/fresh foods, then you could get closer doing the above additions, although time consuming, if it's that important to you to monitor, I think it's worth it and I would do it, but that's me.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    This is a serious problem if potassium is not listed. I am on a diet for kidney patients and it is crucial I monitor my daily potassium AND phosphorus limits. If I do it incorrectly I will end up back on dialysis which is torture. Maybe fitnesspal.com is the wrong program because it doesn't list these. Does anyone know a program that will list the phosphorus and potassium? I can't make errors, I HAVE TO STAY OFF DIALYSIS. Can anyone help? Thank you!

    Your doctor can't help, but MFP can. I am so going for this.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    This is a serious problem if potassium is not listed. I am on a diet for kidney patients and it is crucial I monitor my daily potassium AND phosphorus limits. If I do it incorrectly I will end up back on dialysis which is torture. Maybe fitnesspal.com is the wrong program because it doesn't list these. Does anyone know a program that will list the phosphorus and potassium? I can't make errors, I HAVE TO STAY OFF DIALYSIS. Can anyone help? Thank you!

    Try http://www.choosemyplate.gov.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    LOL. Hungry people getting their panties in a twist over nothing. Trust me, I know the feeling.

    right?! since they have over 15k posts they must know everything ;)

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    LOL. Hungry people getting their panties in a twist over nothing. Trust me, I know the feeling.

    right?! since they have over 15k posts they must know everything ;)
    No I don't know everything but I go by what I see with my own eyes. But thanks for the dig. It's great to be able to have a disagreement without insults. Oh wait.


    ETA: Someone did mention that maybe the miscommunication "might" be in the way we are entering. I am entering via the app and the only ones with asterisks there are user entered entries for weighing versus cups and such.

    ETAA: And I checked so my apologies for that. On the site it is *[food]. On the app, the only foods with asterisks are ones that users submitted with the title (if they put the *). Otherwise, there is no notation on whether it is user submitted or not.

    I can admit when I'm wrong :bigsmile:
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    LOL. Hungry people getting their panties in a twist over nothing. Trust me, I know the feeling.

    right?! since they have over 15k posts they must know everything ;)

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Bonjour *waves*
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    check it with 'fitday'
  • Stay away from the supplements for potassium. I take some supps, I'm not against them, just not for potassium. The only recorded cases for potassium poisoning (death/cardiac arrest) were from supps. There has never been a recorded case for food based potassium overdose.

    Bananas, Potatoes, and Coconut Water are staples for high potassium diet.
  • The average healthy person shouldn't worry about potassium intake - if you're in a developed country and eating a fairly balanced diet you'll be fine. It's most important for people with kidney problems or on certain medications (like some blood pressure meds). I would echo a previous comment- stay away from supplements unless monitored and prescribed by a doctor. Multivitamin is always a good idea though.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    LOL. Hungry people getting their panties in a twist over nothing. Trust me, I know the feeling.

    right?! since they have over 15k posts they must know everything ;)
    No I don't know everything but I go by what I see with my own eyes. But thanks for the dig. It's great to be able to have a disagreement without insults. Oh wait.


    ETA: Someone did mention that maybe the miscommunication "might" be in the way we are entering. I am entering via the app and the only ones with asterisks there are user entered entries for weighing versus cups and such.

    ETAA: And I checked so my apologies for that. On the site it is *[food]. On the app, the only foods with asterisks are ones that users submitted with the title (if they put the *). Otherwise, there is no notation on whether it is user submitted or not.

    I can admit when I'm wrong :bigsmile:

    Apology accepted, but you started it with the snide comment about semen and jizz being entered by MFP staff and denying what was shown by multiple people to be part of the website. I rarely use my phone to enter food because I can't see the same selections as online and also can't see the nutritional content to confirm if what I'm using is what I actually have.