High-potassium foods are an essential part of any balanced diet. The mineral helps regulate your body’s fluid levels, aids in muscular function and waste removal, and keeps your nervous system functioning properly.Research showsthatpotassiumreduces blood pressurein people with hypertension and may lower the risk forstroke.
"It’s essential for maintaining normal blood pressure andkeeps your heart beating regularly,” saysFrancesLargeman-Roth,RDN, aNew York Timesbestselling author and nutrition expert in Brooklyn, New York. “This electrolyte is necessary for muscle contractions and also helps keep sodium levels in check. Many of us don’t getenough potassium each day, so focusing on adding potassium-rich foods to our diets is smart for overall health."
If your potassium levels are too low, a condition known ashypokalemia, it can result in fatigue,insomnia,depression, muscular weakness or cramping, and cardiovascular issues such as an abnormal heart rhythm.Hypokalemiacan be due to a lack of potassium in your diet, though more commonly it’s the result of taking certain prescription medications. While low potassium in the body is a concern, it’s also possible to get too much, leading to blood potassium levels that are too high — calledhyperkalemia. This is something you need to be especially aware of if you have kidney problems.
The kidneys help regulate the amount of potassium in your body, but if they’re not functioning properly, too much potassium can get into the bloodstream, causing weakness or numbness, and potentially, arrhythmia and heart attack. A variety of medications, such asACE inhibitors,nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and certain diuretics, can also bring potassium levels too high. Though some people need to avoid eating too many foods that are high in potassium, most healthy adults should aim for an intake of about 4,700 milligrams (mg) a day.
When people think of potassium in foods, they often think first of bananas. And yes, bananas are indeed a good source of the nutrient, but there are plenty of other colorful, tasty, and nutritious ways to work the right amount of potassium into a healthy diet.To help you do that, we’ve come up with some options, such as sun-dried tomatoes tossed into a salad or on top of a pizza, dried apricots and other fruits made for snacking, avocadosmoothies, and roasted acorn squash. Leafy greens, beans, potatoes, fish, and dairy are some additional great ways to get the potassium you need.
