Get Your Potassium
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD
I've had a couple of questions regarding potassium recently which sparked me to post a reminder to make sure you're getting enough from your daily diet. I am speaking to those of you generally in good health and conscious of your nutrient needs. (I am not speaking to those who have been diagnosed with any kind of condition that would affect their blood potassium levels abnormally. In that case ask your physician if you need to be referred to a registered dietitian).
Why is potassium so important? We need potassium for proper muscle contraction, balancing body fluids & electrolytes (thus helping to regulate blood pressure-mui importante), sending nerve impulses and to release energy from our food. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends healthy adults consume 4700 milligrams a day. It sounds like a lot but if we are eating a balanced and varied diet we'll get there.
Fresh fruits, vegetables are the best sources, but we also get potassium from fish, beans and some dairy. Whole grains offer up some too. A diet high in refined and heavily processed foods may lead to a potassium deficiency as processing reduces the potassium content of fresh foods. All the more reason to avoid.
When we think potassium, bananas usually come to mind. Bananas are a certainly a good source, but were you aware that potatoes are much higher in potassium? I'm talking a baked potato here, not French fries or other heavily processed potatoes. Those foods lose a lot of the potassium in the deep fat fryer. Again, lots of fresh foods with emphasis on fruits and vegetables should take care of your needs. Here is a short list of some notable sources of potassium:
Orange juice
Honeydew melon
Avocadoes
Lima beans
Broccoli
Strawberries
Artichokes
Soybeans
Acorn Squash
Sweet potatoes
Milk
Halibut
Salmon
Raisins
Have a potassium filled day!
Why is potassium so important? We need potassium for proper muscle contraction, balancing body fluids & electrolytes (thus helping to regulate blood pressure-mui importante), sending nerve impulses and to release energy from our food. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends healthy adults consume 4700 milligrams a day. It sounds like a lot but if we are eating a balanced and varied diet we'll get there.
Fresh fruits, vegetables are the best sources, but we also get potassium from fish, beans and some dairy. Whole grains offer up some too. A diet high in refined and heavily processed foods may lead to a potassium deficiency as processing reduces the potassium content of fresh foods. All the more reason to avoid.
When we think potassium, bananas usually come to mind. Bananas are a certainly a good source, but were you aware that potatoes are much higher in potassium? I'm talking a baked potato here, not French fries or other heavily processed potatoes. Those foods lose a lot of the potassium in the deep fat fryer. Again, lots of fresh foods with emphasis on fruits and vegetables should take care of your needs. Here is a short list of some notable sources of potassium:
Orange juice
Honeydew melon
Avocadoes
Lima beans
Broccoli
Strawberries
Artichokes
Soybeans
Acorn Squash
Sweet potatoes
Milk
Halibut
Salmon
Raisins
Have a potassium filled day!
6 Comments:
At Wed May 02, 02:14:00 PM 2007,
Tina said…
As a fellow dietitian, I'm a fan of your work. I hope you'll have a chance to visit my blog www.voiceofreason.net and let me know your thoughts on all things food and nutrition!
At Sun May 13, 07:39:00 PM 2007,
Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD said…
I did check it out and love it! stay connected Tina!
At Thu Aug 09, 11:51:00 AM 2007,
kay schmitt said…
I have to decrease my potassium intake as it was at a critical level. I know all foods contain potassium.'which ones contain the fewest. I am 67 and only weight 93lbs and and 5feet 6 inches tall. I can't afford to lose more weight. Thank you.
Kay
At Thu Aug 09, 11:54:00 AM 2007,
kay schmitt said…
I need a list of foods with
the least amout of potassim
as I have to decrease my level.
Kay
At Fri Sep 07, 04:52:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
i am on a low fat, low calorie diet and also drink 90 ounces of water a day ..... i eat spinach every day... but the rest of my diet contains about 1000mg of potassium... should i take a supplement...?
At Mon Dec 03, 08:42:00 PM 2007,
cammiegirl said…
I have a rare disease called sarcodosis,i've read the information printed regarding meds,believe this or not I take two of the meds that could cause possible side affects. Amiloride w/hctz 5-50 mg once a day.
Enalapril tablet 20 mg.two tablets
once a day. Other than talking with
my doctor can anything else be done?
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