Potassium! We need it

bosque1234
bosque1234 Posts: 60 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I can't say how many times I've gone into the MFP food choices to add an item and the originator has left out the amount of potassium. I end up adding the food myself to know it is correct and is giving me all the data. This isn't a big deal, but man, I wish folks would add every nutrient when they post things to the food lists. I had someone from MFP tell me years ago potassium was super important, and I really appreciate her educating me. Rant over B)

Replies

  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 479 Member
    I'm looking forward to seeing my blood work next week. I haven't hit my potassium goal in like 6 months according to MFP. Honestly curious what I'll be low on haha
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Spadesheart wrote: »
    I'm looking forward to seeing my blood work next week. I haven't hit my potassium goal in like 6 months according to MFP. Honestly curious what I'll be low on haha

    Chances are good you will be fine. Many of the database entries will not show potassium so the amount you consume is not reflected in your MFP reports. It is rare to be low in potassium unless you sweat a lot without replacing electrolytes or you take medication that lowers potassium (like diuretics or BP medication).

  • bosque1234
    bosque1234 Posts: 60 Member
    "It is rare to be low in potassium unless you sweat a lot without replacing electrolytes or you take medication that lowers potassium (like diuretics or BP medication)."

    Actually, researching this shows less than 2% of Americans get enough potassium, so unless you're aware of the amount needed--from 3,500-4,700 a day, it's really common to be low in potassium. Plus it's so important I'm learning, it's an electrolyte, impacts heart function, muscles, nerves and much more. Lowers blood pressure, can prevent kidney stones, can help prevent osteoporosis....my numbers are always almost below 3500 even with clean, whole food eating. Sigh.

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,340 Member
    edited June 2019
    I think the newer U.S. labels are going to have Potassium listed. That won't "fix" the database problem, but then nothing will fix the database problem(s) - and there are many.

    If you eat a good mostly whole foods nutrition plan with 4-6 servings of whole fruit and vegetables, you're likely fine. There is quite a bit of Potassium in fruit and vegetables.

    bosque1234, I just enter all my own foods these days. I want everything in grams. I want the Potassium, Calcium, and some other nutrients to track. So the only way is to enter them myself. Not only that but all the database entries other than the Admin-entered ones are suspect. FWIW, the Admin-entered ones do track Potassium, and everything else I want so I do use those first if I can easily find them.

    If they would just give us a way to search consistently for THOSE items, it would fix a lot of problems.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,792 Member
    bosque1234 wrote: »
    "It is rare to be low in potassium unless you sweat a lot without replacing electrolytes or you take medication that lowers potassium (like diuretics or BP medication)."

    Actually, researching this shows less than 2% of Americans get enough potassium, so unless you're aware of the amount needed--from 3,500-4,700 a day, it's really common to be low in potassium. Plus it's so important I'm learning, it's an electrolyte, impacts heart function, muscles, nerves and much more. Lowers blood pressure, can prevent kidney stones, can help prevent osteoporosis....my numbers are always almost below 3500 even with clean, whole food eating. Sigh.

    Um, so choose foods with more potassium? Yeah, it would be nice if the database were perfect. All I can do is enter things carefully when I need to enter them, and correct entries that are clearly wrong. Oh, and strive to get enough potassium.

    MFP has me low on potassium a good share of the time, but I've spot-checked typical days either against more complete data sources, or by identifying high-potassium foods and mentally figuring in the extra amounts in what I was eating that I found that way. On that basis, I'm fine on potassium most of the time.

    Since you eat mostly "clean, whole food", maybe you'd be happier logging at Cronometer? https://cronometer.com/
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    bosque1234 wrote: »
    I can't say how many times I've gone into the MFP food choices to add an item and the originator has left out the amount of potassium. I end up adding the food myself to know it is correct and is giving me all the data. This isn't a big deal, but man, I wish folks would add every nutrient when they post things to the food lists. I had someone from MFP tell me years ago potassium was super important, and I really appreciate her educating me. Rant over B)

    Part of the problem is that potassium isn't a required value on nutritional labels and that's where users are getting most of their information from. If it's not there, it's not going to be added.
    bosque1234 wrote: »
    "It is rare to be low in potassium unless you sweat a lot without replacing electrolytes or you take medication that lowers potassium (like diuretics or BP medication)."

    Actually, researching this shows less than 2% of Americans get enough potassium, so unless you're aware of the amount needed--from 3,500-4,700 a day, it's really common to be low in potassium. Plus it's so important I'm learning, it's an electrolyte, impacts heart function, muscles, nerves and much more. Lowers blood pressure, can prevent kidney stones, can help prevent osteoporosis....my numbers are always almost below 3500 even with clean, whole food eating. Sigh.

    They might not be getting the recommended amounts, but that is different from actually being medically deficient...which most people aren't.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited June 2019
    ExistingFish wrote: »
    Well I have to admit, I was just skimming the page and I read this thread as:

    "Possum! We need it"

    And I thought it was a thread about...alternative meats.

    https://www.amazon.com/Original-Road-Kill-Cookbook/dp/0898152003

    B)

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