Potassium is important to the contraction of smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscles.

Potassium

An essential macro mineral and vital to human nutrition, potassium plays a key role in both the physiologic and biochemical processes of the body. Potassium is important to the contraction of smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscles. It is also essential to the synthesis of nucleic acids, the transmission of nerve impulses, the maintenance of normal blood pressure, and the preservation of intracellular toxicity. Ideas suggesting high consumption of potassium to cause an anti-hypertensive effect first surfaced in the year 1928. However, in the years to come, mounting evidence now indicates that a diet high in potassium may actually protect not only against hypertension, but against cardiovascular disease, strokes, and other degenerative diseases as well. Potassium has been studied in connection with the following health conditions: Kidney stones (citrate in combination with magnesium citrate) High blood pressure (for people not taking potassium-sparing diuretics) Source of Potassium   If you are trying to increase the amount of potassium in your diet the primary food sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables. This is probably one of the reasons why a vegetarian diet prevents high blood pressure.   The primary sources of dietary potassium are both fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, kelp, rice and wheat bran, potatoes, bananas, orange juice, apricots, unsalted nuts, seeds and grains, mushrooms, molasses and seafood. It is important to be aware of your cooking conditions if you are trying to increase your potassium levels because it can be lost easily through certain cooking methods. Potassium Deficiency It has been suggested that “primitive” diets provide much higher levels of potassium than the contemporary diets consumed today, which may possibly supply too little. Nevertheless, except in cases where “potassium-depleting” diuretic drugs are used, or when an individual experiences excessive diarrhea or vomiting, gross deficiencies are unlikely to occur. If any of these conditions do arise, a doctor may advise supplementation of potassium. The amount of potassium sold in a prescription preparation is greater than the amount sold over the counter; however, even prescription potassium supplements do not contain levels higher than those present in several pieces of fruit. Dosage and Administration Eating several pieces of fruit and an ample amount of vegetables each day provides the greatest source of added potassium. Generally, dietary amounts of potassium range from approximately 2.5 – 5.8 grams per day. Just one banana can contain 500 mg of potassium. All things considered, the allowable amount of potassium in supplement form (99 mg per capsule) is extremely low. Even so, attempting to increase potassium consumption by ingesting a large quantity of potassium-containing pills can cause stomach irritation and should not be attempted.