Potassium is one of, if not the most underrated nutrient. It is also an electrolyte because it produces positively charged ions when dissolved in water.
Although potassium is not a popular supplement ingredient, it still has a boatload of health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, water retention, and risk of strokes.
Benefits
1. Helps Regulate Fluid Balance
As you may know, 60% of the human body is made up of water. 40% of this water is found inside cells in a substance called intracellular fluid (ICF).
The rest is present outside your cells in areas, such as between your cells, spinal fluid, and blood. This fluid is called extracellular fluid (IEF).
Interestingly, the amount of water in both ICF and IEF is directly affected by their concentration of electrolytes, including sodium and potassium.
The main electrolytes for ICF and IEF are potassium and sodium, respectively.
Normally, there are an equal number of electrolytes inside and outside your cells. However, certain conditions can disturb this balance.
When that happens, water from the side with fewer electrolytes moves into the side with more electrolytes for equalizing electrolyte concentrations.
Since your cells shrink when the water moves out of them, or burst when water moves into them, this process can cause a lot of harm to your body. (1)
To prevent a disturbance in the balance of electrolytes present between inside and outside your cells, research suggests you should stay hydrated, along with consuming potassium and sodium.
2. Essential for the Nervous System
As you may know, your nervous system transfers messages from your brain to your body and vice versa. This transfer takes place in the form of nerve impulses.
Nerve impulses are generated by potassium ions moving out of cells and sodium ions moving inside them. Without this movement of ions, a nerve impulse cannot work.
So when your body is running low on potassium, it cannot create nerve impulses properly. That is why you should always get enough potassium from your diet.
3. Helps Reduce Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a global health problem. It is directly linked to heart disease — which is the leading cause of death worldwide.
Multiple studies conclude that potassium helps lower blood pressure because it supports your body in getting rid of excess sodium.
An analysis of 33 studies found out that when high blood pressure patients increased their potassium intake, their diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure decreased by 1.96 and 3.49 mmHg, respectively.
Furthermore, another study conducted with 1,285 participants concluded similar results: people with the highest intake of potassium significantly reduced their blood pressure, compared to those with the lowest intake.
Health Issues Associated With Potassium Deficiency
Potassium deficiency can lead to several health issues, including:
- Muscle pain, weakness, and paralysis
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Hypokalemia
So to stay clear of these health issues, you should meet the daily recommended intake of potassium.
Daily Recommended Intake
For adults, the daily recommended intake of potassium is between 3,500 to 4,700 milligrams. However, people with certain conditions can consume more than 4,700 milligrams per day.
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