What is the best way to supplement potassium?

When the human body lacks potassium, it will experience drowsiness, weakness, difficulty breathing, confusion, palpitations and other adverse symptoms. Potassium deficiency is harmful to the human body. Therefore, in order to supplement the body with enough potassium, you should pay attention to eating more foods containing potassium. There are many foods containing potassium, but many people don’t know what foods can supplement potassium in daily life, and what foods are the best for supplementing potassium? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. Potassium-rich foods

The function of potassium is often related to that of sodium, and it plays a very important role in maintaining the body's osmotic pressure and acid-base balance, cell metabolism, and neuromuscular excitability. Both low or high blood potassium levels can cause serious consequences.

Potassium is widely distributed in natural foods and is generally not lacking in daily diet. If the diet is unbalanced, with a preference for meat, eggs, polysaccharides, and salt, and less grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits, potassium intake will decrease. Improper cooking, removing vegetable juice when making stuffing, and removing vegetable soup when eating vegetables, is equivalent to eating "low-potassium vegetables" and invisibly losing a large amount of potassium. Chronic diseases may lead to poor potassium absorption, diarrhea, vomiting, and some diuretics can cause excessive potassium loss. The production of glycogen requires potassium. When a large amount of sugar is consumed, the potassium concentration in the blood drops rapidly. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes often lose a large amount of potassium in the urine, so potassium supplements are needed.

Foods high in potassium include fresh broad beans, potatoes, yam, spinach, amaranth, kelp, seaweed, black dates, apricots, almonds, bananas, walnuts, peanuts, green beans, soybeans, mung beans, edamame, lamb kidneys, pork kidneys, etc. A high-potassium diet is not suitable for everyone. In cases of acute or chronic renal insufficiency, oliguria or anuria, potassium cannot be excreted in time. In cases of shock or adrenal insufficiency, not only can potassium not be supplemented, but potassium intake must be controlled.

2. Functions of Potassium

Potassium is a substance that exists in large quantities in the body. Most of it is present inside each cell, where it coordinates with potassium outside the cells to maintain the acid-base balance of the blood and body fluids, as well as to maintain the water balance and osmotic pressure stability in the body. Other potassium is stored in nerves, blood cells and muscles. The most important function of sodium, potassium and chlorine is to maintain the balance of water and acidity and alkalinity in the body.

3. Effects of potassium deficiency on the body

People who suffer from long-term potassium deficiency will have symptoms such as arrhythmia, abnormal nerve conduction, and vomiting. When a large amount of water is lost (such as diarrhea and very heavy sweating), in addition to replenishing water, electrolytes must also be replenished. If only a large amount of water is replenished without replenishing electrolytes, symptoms of "exhaustion" such as weakness, cramps, vomiting and diarrhea will occur.

4. Absorption source:

Meat, milk, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, oranges, raisins, potatoes, bananas, and winter melon. Bananas have the highest potassium content.

5. Recommended potassium intake

Potassium intake should not be excessive, otherwise it will cause sodium loss and deficiency. People who take antibiotics or diuretics for a long time, or those who consume too much salt, must consume more potassium.