Severely lacking in potassium...affecting blood pressure?

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dikent
dikent Posts: 24
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone had any experience with raising potassium levels to help lower your BP? In looking back on the last month's eating journal, I have been falling short on reaching the proper amount of potassium in my diet which in turn is likely raising the amount of sodium in my body since they equal each other out. And when I say falling short, I mean out of the 3500mg I maybe get 1000mg on a really good day.

I usually cook all of our foods from scratch and my sodium levels are never even near the top daily values unless I've gone out to eat. I do cardio 5-6 times per week and strength train 3x per week.

I am really trying to stay off BP meds if I can help it.

Replies

  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Good to know...I have high blood pressure too. I'd love to hear the answer :)
  • anna_lisa
    anna_lisa Posts: 486 Member
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    BE very careful with potassium... Supplement with foods that contain potassium. I would not recommend taking a potassium supplement without consulting dr.

    Too much postassium can be very dangerous
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
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    Get some bananas!
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
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    BE very careful with potassium... Supplement with foods that contain potassium. I would not recommend taking a potassium supplement without consulting dr.

    Too much postassium can be very dangerous


    Agreed! I wouldn't take potassium supplements unless told by a doctor that I needed to and instead I would just eat 2 bananas a day.
  • jeninne
    jeninne Posts: 412 Member
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    Where genetics has something to do with this- the dr. Kept telling my husband to up the cardio, water, vitamins and eat well...he upped the cardio and paid close attention to sodium like you are doing. He always ate well, but now he eats bananas every day. His BP is now in normal range without threat of Meds now. Good luck :)
  • MrBrown72
    MrBrown72 Posts: 407 Member
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    Low sodium V8 is a great source.
  • Caharleygirl
    Caharleygirl Posts: 109 Member
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    Most of the database items do not have potassium entered on them...probably because most manufacturers and restaurants do not put it on their labels or guides. So you can't go by what your diary says. If you think your potassium is low, you need to go to the doctor for a blood test. That is the only way to tell if it is low or not. You Do Not Want to take Potassium Supplements unless your doctor prescribes them. Having too high or too low potassium can be Life Threatening! That being said....there is nothing wrong with trying to eat more potassium rich foods like potatoes or bananas. You can find lists of potassium rich foods on the web. I would link one here for you but I am not that computer savvy...lol. Also if your blood pressure is too high...try to keep your sodium under 1500 mg per day...the recomended 2500 is not for people with High Blood Pressure. Look at the DASH diet for some ideas...it is an excellent research backed diet for people with High Blood Pressure by the American Heart Association (I think). Good Luck!!!

    Looks like everyone posted while I typed slowly...lol...sorry if I duplicated advice.
  • Trisha042415
    Trisha042415 Posts: 16 Member
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    I totally agree w/you ladies about potassium supplements. If you think your potassium level is too low then the best thing to do is see your doctor. I have a family history of high blood pressure and twice a year I have blood work done and one thing he checks is my potassium level. Too much or too little can affect your health.
  • Hodar
    Hodar Posts: 338 Member
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    Most of the database items do not have potassium entered on them...probably because most manufacturers and restaurants do not put it on their labels or guides. So you can't go by what your diary says. If you think your potassium is low, you need to go to the doctor for a blood test. That is the only way to tell if it is low or not. You Do Not Want to take Potassium Supplements unless your doctor prescribes them. Having too high or too low potassium can be Life Threatening! That being said....there is nothing wrong with trying to eat more potassium rich foods like potatoes or bananas. You can find lists of potassium rich foods on the web. I would link one here for you but I am not that computer savvy...lol. Also if your blood pressure is too low (or too high)...call your doctor. Good Luck!!!
    Well said ... I was concerned about my Potassium intake; and after doing some digging you are absolutly correct.

    Manufacturers are not required to report Potassium levels, so they don't
  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
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    yes! I have HBP and my pottassium gets low easily. When it is low I can feel it through my entire body...I get dizzy alot and my heart feels like it is pounding, my hands swell and I can't sleep. It's very scary and an awful feeling! I take BP meds, lisinopril. I would really think about taking meds if you have HBP...it really harms your kidneys and arteries to not treat it. For pottassium I make sure I stay hydrated and if I need to I drink gatorade or powerade, eat a banana, etc...usually when your electrolytes are off it is due to dehydration. You could be drinking fluids and still be dehydrated if you drink alot of caffiene or something. I have found that I require alot more fluids in a day than the standard or I get dehydrated. When I am dehydrated my BP is through the roof! I once passed out at a restaurant and was rushed to the ER in an ambulance, given fluids and a cat scan...all because my pottassium was very low. It's very serious. Best thing to do is keep balanced all the time and treat HBP if you have it. If it is due to being out of shape you can always get off the meds when/if you no longer need them. :)
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    I have recently started taking potassium because I had constantly crampy muscles. You lose potassium through sweating...well, I run at 4:30 in the afternoon in Louisiana...so, odds are that my potassium was low. It has helped, but, a lot of food has potassium in it. Sports drinks have potassium as well (it is an electrolyte, for advertising purposes) :smile:

    I will say, please, be careful if you are trying to take a supplement to help lower your BP. Potassium is not required to be on Nutrition Labels, so you are probably getting a lot more than you think you are, especially if you are eating fruits and veggies.

    The DV of potassium is ridiculously high, I would just caution that if you start taking a supplement, stay in tune with your body to see how it makes you feel. Either do this gradually (each potassium pill only has 99 mg) or with your doctor's advice / supervision.
  • dikent
    dikent Posts: 24
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    Thanks everyone. I have looked at the list of potassium rich foods and plan on making sure they are part of my diet on a daily basis. I am not the type to take a bunch of supplements, but I think I may incorporate a multivitamin into my daily routine as well. As I said, we don't eat out very often and we pretty much follow a whole food/organic diet.

    In talking my BP at home, it isn't nearly as high as it was at the doctor's office. I still plan on getting a full physical since I have not had one in about 7 years. Thanks again for all your input.

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