Potassium - advice needed

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gvsu4msu
gvsu4msu Posts: 54
in Food and Nutrition
According to my "nutrients log" I am not getting enough potassium most days.

Can anyone tell me some good sources of Potassium to boost up that nutrient level?

Replies

  • premiumchilenita
    premiumchilenita Posts: 600 Member
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    BANANA'S:bigsmile:
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Bananas, cantaloupe, avocados, tomatoes & papaya to name a few.
  • AlessisMore
    AlessisMore Posts: 179 Member
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    I swear by coconut water. I use the kind with no added sugar (it's plenty sweet without it). I workout a lot & I sweat a lot so getting enough potassium has always been a big issue for me. Coconut water is easy to digest (even right before a workout ) & it contains almost 500 mg of potassium per 8 oz.. It's also a good source of other electrolytes and at 50 cals a cup it sure beats gatorade!
  • hozik
    hozik Posts: 369 Member
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    Fruit, veggies, nuts, beans, milk
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    I go for the coconut water myself. Here's a good list:

    http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html#content
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,495 Member
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    Potassium is hard to track because it it not required to be listed in nutrition data. A lot of what gets logged has potassium it is just not showing up because the company does not list it.
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
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    Since US labeling laws don't require that foods list their potassium content, many of the items in the database list 0 or NA . . . even if they are foods rich in potassium. That means you simply can't believe what MFP tells you about your potassium intake, unless you carefully check each entry in your diary to see whether the potassium listed actually reflects the potassium in the food. Too much trouble in my opinion, unless you have some medical reason to track your potassium intake, more than just general information.
  • Quel1970
    Quel1970 Posts: 91 Member
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    I have struggled with low potassium for years! Avocados are high in potassium. A single one has about 25-28% of the RDA. Also, dried apricots and prunes are high. The best thing I have found is coconut water. Drinking it straight/plain, it has a weird taste (no sugar). BUT I use it in other things (smoothies, tea, etc) and you really can't taste it. There are tons of drinks out there that also have coconut water in them (though I haven't tried any). Some nuts are high in potassium too. I like cashews but I think there are others.

    You can get liquid potassium at health food stores. It tastes HORRIBLE and you have to take it a few times a day as a teaspoon only has 100mg. I think its easy to just eat the 'right' foods.
  • adaplas
    adaplas Posts: 17 Member
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    Hypokalemia (or low blood potassium) is rare in a healthy person eating a balanced diet. That's why potassium is not required to have an RDA. So unless you are on some kind of water pill, you don't need to watch your patassium intake. Just follow standard advise -- eat a balanced diet, replace electrolytes as necessary when working out, etc.

    Anyway, potassium is ubiquitous. But you won't go wrong with most fruits and vegetables and all kinds of meat.

    PS: On the other hand, too much potassium (hyperkalemia) is also dangerous. But as long as you have good kidney function, hyperkalemia is also rare. Still, do not take potassium supplements without medical advise.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Meat, dairy, fruit, veggies :D

    Potatoes have a huge amount actually. More than bananas :]
  • pattan59801
    pattan59801 Posts: 142
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    Doc has me on a potassium suppliment
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    Potassium supps are limited to less than 100mg per pill. So in order to get your RDA requirement of 3500, you'd be downing 35 pills a day. Not cheap. But I guess its lower carb than my usual bananas, potatoes, and V8.

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