10 Foods High in Potassium That Boost Your Health

In the periodic table of elements, you might have come across the element Potassium (K). It is one of the human body’s most essential minerals or electrolytes. Nature provides various sources to replenish potassium reserves. In this article, we will walk you through how foods high in potassium is important for your well-being and list of potassium rich foods for a balanced diet.

Overview of the article:

• Why foods with Potassium are important for you?
• Symptoms of High or Low Potassium levels
• Potassium-rich foods
• Recommended Potassium Intake

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Why foods with Potassium are important for you?

Like every other mineral, potassium plays a vital role in the proper functioning of every system in the human body. Enlisted are some of the evidence-based benefits of healthy potassium levels to your health!

Efficient Nervous System

Our nervous system is not only a bunch of neurons that carry electrochemical messages from the body to the brain and back to the body. It also consists of several chemicals and ions that help nerve cells effectively communicate with each other and the remaining cells.

Our nervous system also helps oversee potassium levels and other electrolytes within the body by ordering vital organs such as the kidneys and digestive system to adequately absorb and flush potassium. For a healthy adult, the normal range of potassium in the blood is between 3.5 to 5.2 mmol/L.¹

Healthy Cardiovascular System

It would not be wrong to say that the heart is a muscle. Just like the many nerve fibers across the body, the heart also possesses nerve cells. These nerve cells elicit electrochemical impulses that make the heart squeeze blood across the body. Strenuous work, right?

Potassium is an important constituent of heart and vascular structures. It allows the heart cells to relax and recharge before contracting again. With the ability to prevent vascular hardening and plaque formation, it is vital to include potassium-rich foods to prevent stroke.

Where calcium is important for strengthening the bones, with time it settles in the cells of the heart and vessels, causing them to harden. Potassium helps as an antagonist and aids in flushing excess calcium out of the cardiovascular tissues. Foods high in potassium for blood pressure can help with heart health in the long term. Dietary changes can be made towards potassium-rich foods for heart health.

Healthy bones

Potassium increases the mineral density of bones by not allowing calcium to move out of the bones and into the bloodstream. It also helps regulate the acid-base ratio in the blood, leading to healthier bones.  

Healthy Kidneys

It is vital to include high potassium foods for kidney health. Potassium helps regulate the levels of other electrolytes such as sodium in the bloodstream, assisting the kidneys in actively flushing excess sodium and calcium that can be detrimental to health, lowering high blood pressure, and maintaining healthy levels of glucose in the blood.

People with kidney stones and high blood pressure are often advised to have low-sodium, high-potassium foods.

Stronger Muscles

Just like heart muscles, potassium aids in the contraction of skeletal muscles. Potassium deficiency can lead to weaker muscle contractions, hence muscle weakness and cramps. It is advised to use potassium-rich foods for muscle cramps and to alleviate fatigue.

Athletes with high occupational requirements are more in need of specialized nutritional plans and supplements. Enumerated below are the top potassium-rich foods for athletes and other high-performance individuals.

Symptoms of High and Low Potassium levels

As per the saying, excess of anything is bad. Following are the signs and symptoms you should vouch for when trying to adjust your diet. Excess of a particular chemical in the body is called toxicity, whereas the term deficiency refers to the low levels of that chemical in the body.

Signs and symptoms of potassium deficiency can vary from individual to individual, some common ones are:

• Fatigue
• Mood changes
• Tingling and numbness of limbs
• Muscular weakness
• Heart palpitations
• Digestive disorders
• High blood pressure
• Constipation
• Frequent urination

Symptoms of potassium toxicity are very similar to that of potassium deficiency:

• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Heart Palpitations
• Muscular weakness
• Cardiac arrest

When faced with the above-stated signs and symptoms, please refer to a physician for required personalized care.

What foods are high in potassium?

Some foods rich in potassium that can be included in diet regularly are:

• Avocadoes
• Dried fruit (Raisins and apricots)
• Sweet potatoes
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Bananas
• Shiitake
• Beans: White, lima, kidney, black eyes, and pinto
• Chickpeas
• Legumes
• Grain: Wheat, quinoa and oats
• Lean meat: Chicken, salmon, halibut and tuna

Easy Recipe with Potassium Rich foods

This recipe is not only rich in potassium but also easy to prepare, making it perfect for incorporating into your daily diet to ensure you meet your nutritional needs. You can tailor your personalized recipe using the potassium-rich fruits and vegetables enlisted above.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2.5 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, cut into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook Quinoa: Rinse quinoa under cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer. Cook until soft. Fluff with a fork.
2. In a preheated oven (at 215°C), place sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle some salt. Roast the vegetable for almost 15 minutes.
3. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, black beans, red bell pepper, avocado, and cilantro.
4. Dress Salad: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Top with roasted sweet potato wedges.
5. Serve!

Recommended Potassium Intake

According to the National Academy of Medicine, an Adequate Intake (AI) for Potassium has been established:

• For young women: 2,300-2,600 mg daily
• For pregnant and lactating women: 2,500-2,900 mg daily
• For men: 3,000-3,400 mg daily

On average, women need 2,320 mg, and men need 3,016 mg daily.

Caution with Potassium Intake

People using certain medications such as bumetanide, furosemide, chlorothiazide, and metolazone, can have low potassium levels and should follow up with their physicians for suitable therapy.

On the other hand, people using ACE inhibitors, amiloride, and spironolactone, should avoid taking potassium-rich foods as these medications tend to increase potassium levels in the bloodstream.

References

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-loaded-with-potassium

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/potassium-rich-foods