What does potassium do to your body

Potassium-rich diet has many health benefits for your body. In addition to reducing blood pressure and water retention, it prevents many diseases such as osteoporosis, stroke, and kidney stones.

What is potassium?

In the body, potassium is the third most abundant mineral.  It’s also an electrolyte. Potassium is a mineral your body needs for healthy functioning. Among its many functions, it regulates fluid in the body, sends nerve signals, and controls the contractions of the muscles. Nearly 98% of your body’s potassium is contained in your cells. 80 percent of it is found in muscle cells, while the remaining 20 percent is found in bones, liver, and red blood cells. As soon as it enters your body, it acts as an electrolyte. Electrolytes dissolve in water to form ions that conduct electricity. The potassium ions are positively charged. Several processes in your body are controlled by electric currents. They include fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions. Electrolytes play a crucial role in many bodily processes, so a low or high amount of them can interfere.

How you can intake potassium?

Several whole foods contain potassium, including fruits, vegetables, and fish. The optimal amount of potassium is generally regarded as 3,500 to 4,700 mg per day.  Potassium is primarily found in foods. Examples of potassium-rich foods are:

• Apricots, bananas, kiwis, oranges, and pineapples
• Leafy green vegetables, carrots, and potatoes
• Lean meats
• Whole grains
• Nuts and beans

By eating a balanced diet, most people get enough potassium. Potassium supplements might be prescribed by your doctor if you have low potassium levels. You might need intravenous (IV) treatment if you have a severe deficiency.

What does potassium do in our body?

Most people underestimate potassium’s importance. As an electrolyte, this mineral is highly reactive in water. It produces positively charged ions when dissolved in water. Due to this special property, it conducts electricity, which is crucial to many bodily functions. A potassium-rich diet is associated with a number of powerful health benefits. It helps to reduce blood pressure and water retention, protect against strokes, and may prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.

• It Helps Regulate Fluid Balance:

Electrolytes regulate fluid balance, especially potassium and sodium. You can maintain a healthy fluid balance by eating a potassium-rich diet.

• Potassium is essential for the nervous system:

Potassium activates nerve impulses in your nervous system. They affect number of processes, such as muscle contractions, heartbeats, and reflexes.

• Muscle and heart contractions are regulated by potassium:

Potassium levels significantly affect muscle contractions . Altered levels of potassium can cause muscle weakness, and an irregular heartbeat.

Health benefits of potassium:

Helps Lower Blood Pressure:

Almost one-third of Americans suffer from high blood pressure. As a result, it increases the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Choosing a potassium-rich diet may help reduce blood pressure. It does so removing excess sodium from the body. High sodium levels can elevate blood pressure. Especially in those who already have high blood pressure.

Protects Against Strokes:

When there is not enough blood flowing to the brain, a stroke occurs. There are more than 130,000 deaths from it each year in the United States. A potassium-rich diet may help prevent strokes, according to several studies. Additionally, eating a diet high in potassium is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Prevents osteoporosis:

A hollow and porous bone is a sign of osteoporosis. Low calcium levels are often a contributing factor. According to studies, a potassium-rich diet may reduce the loss of calcium to urine, thereby helping prevent osteoporosis.

Prevents Kidney Stones:

A kidney stone is a hard clump of material that forms in concentrated urine. Potassium may help prevent kidney stones. You can easily add potassium citrate to your diet since it is present in many fruits and vegetables.

Possibly reduces water retention:

Excess fluids within the body lead to water retention. The consumption of potassium can reduce water retention by increasing urine production and reducing sodium levels, according to studies.

What does too much potassium do?

A high potassium level in the blood can cause hyperkalemia. Potassium supplements and salt substitutes can lead to a high potassium diet. Medicines containing potassium, such as certain blood pressure medications, can lead to high potassium levels and ultimately hyperkalemia. Overdoses of potassium in the blood can damage your heart and cause a heart attack. Overdose of potassium can also build pressure on your kidneys that can also be dangerous.

How much potassium do you need?

The majority of people around the world do not get enough potassium, despite its importance. The recommended daily dietary allowance for an adult is 3,500 to 4,700 mg. If you want to increase your intake of potassium, include spinach, yams, avocados, bananas, and salmon, which are potassium-rich foods.  

Conclusion:

Potassium is an essential mineral in the human body. It regulates nerve signals, fluid balance, and muscle contractions. Furthermore, a potassium-rich diet can lower blood pressure and water retention, prevent strokes and osteoporosis, and prevent kidney stones. Many people do not get enough potassium. Get more potassium in your diet by consuming foods rich in potassium, such as beet greens, spinach, kale, and salmon.

Fatima Sarmad

I lead a team of professional nutritionists and dietitians. We provide our consulting services in different areas of nutrition.