Nutrient Information: Potassium, K

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Nutrient Key Information
Nutrient Name:	Potassium, K
Nutrient Category:	Minerals
Measuring Unit:	mg
Nutrient Summary:	Potassium plays an important role in maintaining body fluid balance. It is also required for normal cellular function. This is the nutrient we should get more of to have good blood pressure level, healthy affects on neural transmission, muscle contraction, and vascular tone.
Nutrient Function:	Potassium helps to regulate body fluid balance: potassium is the major intracellular cation (inside the cells) and sodium is the main electrolyte in extracellular fluids (outside the cells). Potassium and sodium balance the fluid of inside and outside body cells. It helps to lower blood pressure level. It reduces the negative impact of the sodium intake to the blood pressure. Help to maintain a steady heartbeat Help muscle contraction Help nerve transmissions Carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar control Decrease bone loss, as a result increase bone strength and reduce the risk of calcium-containing kidney stones

Potassium, K Interactions With Other Nutrients
Sodium, Na	High intake of sodium can lead to increased potassium excretion through urine Sodium and potassium work together to maintain fluid balance in the body. High sodium intake can lead to increased potassium excretion through urine. Conversely, higher potassium intake can help to counteract some of the adverse effects of high sodium intake, such as high blood pressure.
Magnesium, Mg	Low magnesium levels can lead to low potassium levels Potassium is primarily involved in maintaining cell membrane potential and electrical excitability, and it is also crucial for muscle contractions. Magnesium can influence potassium levels. It acts as a cofactor for an enzyme that helps maintain the electrochemical gradient across cell membranes by pumping sodium out of cells and potassium into cells. It also helps to retain potassium in the cell. Low magnesium level impacts getting potassium into cells and it may also cause potassium leaking from cells.

Food Sources

Leafy dark green vegetables: such as spinach, beet greens, amaranth leaves, broccoli, artichokes.
Root vegetables: such as yam, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Vine vegetables and fruits: such as acorn winter squash, zucchini, tomatoes, pumpkin, cucumbers, and eggplant.
Fruits: such as bananas, kiwifruit, watermelon, dried apricots, and stewed prunes.
Nuts and seeds: such as pistachio, almond, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Beans: such as soybeans, pinto beans, lentils, kidney beans.
Juices: such as carrot and tomato juices, and orange, pomegranate, and prune juices.
Dairy products: such as milk and yogurt.
Seafood: such as clams and salmon.

Notes:
1) Though meat and milk products contain some potassium, they are less effective in absorption by body.
2) Most processed foods, such as canned vegetables and luncheon meats contain less potassium than them in fresh state.

Sample Foods High in: Potassium, K View Additional Food Sources
	Food Description	Nutrient Amount¹	Daily Value%²
	Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products	909 mg	19.34%
	Amaranth leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products	641 mg	13.64%
	Yam, cooked, boiled, drained, or baked, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: cooked yam	670 mg	14.26%
	Potatoes, red, flesh and skin, baked Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: baked potato	545 mg	11.60%
	Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products Similar foods: cooked sweet potato	475 mg	10.11%
	Squash, winter, acorn, cooked, baked, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products	437 mg	9.30%
	Bamboo shoots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Category: Vegetables and Vegetable Products	533 mg	11.34%
	Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw Category: Fruits and Fruit Juices Similar foods: raw banana	326 mg	6.94%
	Soybeans, mature seeds, dry roasted Category: Legumes and Legume Products Similar foods: roasted soybean	1,364 mg	29.02%
	Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without salt Category: Legumes and Legume Products Similar foods: cooked soybean	515 mg	10.96%
	Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, without salt added Category: Nut and Seed Products Similar foods: roasted pistachio	1,007 mg	21.43%
	Peanut butter with omega-3, creamy Category: Legumes and Legume Products Similar foods: peanut butter	780 mg	16.60%

¹ Nutrient amount is in 100 gram food
² Use FDA 2000 calorie diet as Daily Value reference

Additional Nutrient Information
Nutrient Summary	Potassium plays an important role in maintaining body fluid balance. It is also required for normal cellular function. This is the nutrient we should get more of to have good blood pressure level, healthy affects on neural transmission, muscle contraction, and vascular tone.
Deficiency Health Effects	• Moderate potassium deficiency may increase blood pressure, salt sensitivity, calcium loss in bones, risk of kidney stones, and risk of cardiovascular disease (particularly stroke). • Severe potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) can cause irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, tiredness, and glucose intolerance which increases risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Effects if Above Upper Limit	For healthy people (not the individuals with impaired urinary potassium excretion), excess potassium above the Adequate Intake level is readily excreted in the urine, so there is no upper limit values set for potassium intake from foods. However, high level consumption of potassium supplements may cause acute toxicity in healthy people if their bodies can't eliminate the excessive potassium. The most serious potential effect of hyperkalemia is irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia) and chest pain.
External References	Learn more at: • The National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine publication: Dietary Reference Intakes • NIH (National Institutes of Health) article: Potassium • healthline.com article: What Does Potassium Do for Your Body? • Nutrition Science Book: Understanding Nutrition by Ellie Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes

Daily Value Age Group	Recommended Daily Values
Toddler 1 to 3 years old:	3,000 mg
Child 4 to 8 years old:	3,800 mg
Male 9 to 13 years old:	4,500 mg
Male 14 to 18 years old:	4,700 mg
Male 19 to 30 years old:	4,700 mg
Male 31 to 50 years old:	4,700 mg
Male 51 to 70 years old:	4,700 mg
Male Senior 71 or older:	4,700 mg
Female 9 to 13 years old:	4,500 mg
Female 14 to 18 years old:	4,700 mg
Female 19 to 30 years old:	4,700 mg
Female 31 to 50 years old:	4,700 mg
Female 51 to 70 years old:	4,700 mg
Female Senior 71 or older:	4,700 mg
Female Pregnancy (>18):	4,700 mg
Female Lactation (>18):	5,100 mg
FDA (Based on 2000 calorie daily diet):	4,700 mg

	The nutrient Dietary Reference Intakes and nutrition facts is from Institute of Medicine of National Academies 2006. Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11537
	Nutrition facts knowledge are based on U.S. FOOD & DRUG Administration Nutrition Education Resources & Materials. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/interactivenutritionfactslabel/
	Nutrition facts knowledge are based on National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all
Disclaimer	The nutrient information provided here should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare providers (such as your doctor) about your dietary requirements which are best for your overall health. We also recommend you to read organization or professional reference documents or articles mentioned, but not limited to, in this page. Any mentions and reference links in this page don't represent our endorsement of their services and advice.

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