Potassium? ?

I make sure I choose the MFP Food Database items that contain the correct value for potassium - or I edit the items I can edit and then use the corrected item. Many US Nutrition Facts labels do not report potassium, even though the food item actually contains potassium, because potassium is not required by the US FDA to be reported on Nutrition Facts labels. If I find a MFP Food Database item that does not report a value for potassium, I will try to verify the actual value by searching the USDA National Nutrient Database or other websites.

I know some of the packaged items I log do not have a value for potassium, either because the item does not have potassium, or as is usually the case, because I cannot verify what the actual value is through my research. Even with those items logged in my Food Diary, I usually reach or exceed my potassium goal over 95% of the time.

Yi5hedr3 wrote: »

Take 3-4 caps a day. Only 99 mg each. No danger at that level.

Please don't come on here telling people to take unnecessary and potentially dangerous supplements. There is no scientific validity to what you're saying. None.

segacs wrote: »

Yi5hedr3 wrote: »

Take 3-4 caps a day. Only 99 mg each. No danger at that level.

Please don't come on here telling people to take unnecessary and potentially dangerous supplements. There is no scientific validity to what you're saying. None.

1. He didn't.
2. Yes there is.

It's nice that we have people protecting each other here. It'd be nicer yet if they knew what they were talking about.


That was a good article that Catscats linked above, but while helpful, it can also be misleading. The first few paragraphs from the link:

Potassium is an essential mineral that helps your heart, nerve cells and muscle cells function properly. About 98 percent of the potassium in your body is found within your cells and organs, while a small amount of it circulates in your blood stream. When the amount of potassium in your blood accumulates, it can be dangerous, so get potassium from food if possible, and do not take megadoses in supplement form unless directed by a doctor.

Recommended Dietary Allowance
The Food and Nutrition Board's Institute of Medicine recommends that most adults get 4.7 grams of potassium per day, while breast-feeding women should get 5.1 grams daily. Because research has not pinpointed a number of daily milligrams of potassium that would adversely affect healthy individuals, the IOM has not set a tolerable upper intake level for potassium, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, because excessive potassium can be harmful, manufacturers of over-the-counter supplements in the United States must limit the potassium content of each daily supplement to 99 milligrams.

Hyperkalemia
If you take more potassium than your kidneys can eliminate, the concentration of potassium in your blood can elevate to a point where you develop a condition called hyperkalemia. Taking more than 18 grams of potassium per day can cause this mineral to accumulate, as can kidney failure or diuretic use, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. People with hyperkalemia may experience tingling of their extremities, weakness or cardiac arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm that can be deadly, according to researchers of a study published in a 2006 issue of "Texas Heart Institute Journal."

Too much potassium can be dangerous, but it's a pretty wide window at 4700 to 18,000 milligrams daily. At 99 milligrams per tablet, someone would have to take over 180 tablets (fewer with a potassium rich diet) to hit the upper limit.

I don't take potassium tablets but I do use potassium chloride as a salt substitute, which gives me around 600 milligrams additional potassium daily, about the same amount you'd find in a potato or banana. Still, I normally finish the day around 3,000 milligrams, still short of the recommended minimum of 4700.

I don't usually hit 3500mg, but even without values from a lot of packaged foods, I typically register around 3000mg from a fair amount of whole foods. Like it was posted before, I wouldn't worry too much about it unless your physician is concerned.
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium

If you use salt for cooking or on your food; you could try Mortons Lite Salt which has 350 mg per 1/4tsp. of potassium.

Kalikel wrote: »

It's not always on the labels, so you may get more than you think if you're using those. Still, most Americans don't get enough potassium. Potatoes are a great source. Wheat germ is good, but it's hard to work a lot of it into a diet.

Use the USDA database to check for K. Google for foods high in K and add more of the ones you like to your diet.

Do not take supplements unless instructed to by your doctor.

queenliz99 wrote: »

catscats222 wrote: »

don't worry about it.
a lot of foods do not list potassium on labels - not required.
therefore: it will not show up on your nutrition in MFP
* potassium supplements can be extremely dangerous for your health

sources?

Many labels don't include potassium. Source: the labels.

Too much potassium can hurt or kill you. Source: the library, the Internet, any basic A&P textbook.

I don't think it was necessary to quote @queenliz99 that way and comment, as she was asking another poster for a direct source for the comment that he made regarding the dangers of too much potassium.