What is Potassium?

What is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral found in many foods that is critical for human health. Along with sodium, chloride, calcium and a few other electrolytes, it plays a primary role in maintaining normal water and fluid balance. It’s also a key player in muscle contraction, nerve transmission, blood pressure regulation, preservation of bone density and heart and kidney function.

Our bodies are unable to produce potassium, so it must be obtained through our diet. Many foods provide potassium, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, dairy products, meats, poultry, and fish. It can also be found in salt substitutes in the form of potassium chloride. People who consume a balanced diet can meet their daily potassium needs; however, many Americans consume less of this nutrient than is recommended.

Potassium and health

In addition to its important functions related to fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve transmission, some of the potassium’s important roles in human health include:

• Regulating blood pressure: high potassium intakes may help lower blood pressure, by dilating blood vessels and helping the body excrete sodium and water. High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so getting enough potassium may reduce the risk for serious cardiac events, like strokes.
• Reducing risk for kidney stones: not getting enough potassium leads to more calcium loss from bones and increased calcium excreted in the urine, which can lead to kidney stone formation.
• Preserving bone density: Observational studies have shown that people with higher potassium intakes tend to have higher bone density. The exact reasons behind this association are not known, but a few randomized controlled trials have supported this connection.

Health Effects of Potassium Deficiency

Potassium deficiency can be caused by very low potassium intake, diarrhea or vomiting, and/or use of laxatives, diuretics and certain medications. Low levels of potassium in the bloodstream are called hypokalemia, a condition with side effects like headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness, heart palpitations and swelling of glands. Severe hypokalemia can be life-threatening since potassium is critical for the muscle contractions responsible for keeping the heart beating.

Health Effects of Excess Potassium

In healthy people with properly functioning kidneys, high potassium intake from foods is not harmful because it can be excreted from the body. It’s possible to consume too much potassium from a very large dose of dietary supplements, though this is rare since many supplements only contain a small percentage of total daily potassium needs.