Why do we need potassium and how do we get it?
Potassium is one of the seven most important nutrients that the body needs, in addition to calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, and chloride. Despite its importance, it did not receive the attention it deserved from nutrition experts until recently, due to its availability in most types of plants that humans eat, which made its imbalance in the body a rare occurrence.
But in recent decades, with the major changes that have occurred in the types of food and the multiplicity of diets that appear every day, and the increase in the percentage of sodium that we consume daily, potassium deficiency is no longer a rare complaint. In fact, studies indicate that only about 2% of Americans get the potassium their body needs from food, which is why reliance on nutritional supplements has become popular to fill this deficiency.
What are the functions of potassium?
Potassium is one of the minerals necessary for the functions of various parts of the body such as the brain, nerves, heart and muscles. Like many minerals and elements, potassium is converted inside the body into an electrolyte that conducts electricity so that it can perform its functions, which include the following:
Potassium helps regulate fluid balance. Water represents about 60% of the human body, and the percentage of this water is divided into about 40% inside the cells and 60% outside them. Electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, play a fundamental role in maintaining this percentage.
Potassium plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous system, as the nervous system works to transmit electrical messages (nerve impulses) from the brain to different parts of the body using sodium and potassium.
Potassium helps regulate the movement of the heart muscles and other muscles of the body, as the nervous system is responsible for regulating muscle contractions, so a change in the percentage of potassium in the blood may lead to weak muscle movement.
What is the daily potassium requirement?
Studies indicate that an adult (over 14 years old) needs about 3,500-4,700 milligrams of potassium per day, while this percentage increases to 5,100 milligrams per day for women during the breastfeeding period. An infant under six months old needs about 400 milligrams per day, while after that he needs about 700 milligrams per day until he completes his first year. A child needs about 3,000 milligrams per day from 1-3 years old, then 3,800 milligrams per day from 4-8 years old, then 4,500 milligrams per day from 9-13 years old.
What are the sources of potassium?
Potassium is found in most unprocessed foods, especially vegetables, fruits, and fish. Here is how much potassium is in 100 grams of the following foods:
Prunes: 732 milligrams.
Sunflower seeds: 645 milligrams.
Potatoes: 544 milligrams.
Portobello mushrooms: 521 milligrams.
Avocados: 485 milligrams.
Sweet potatoes: 475 milligrams.
Spinach: 466 milligrams.
Salmon: 414 milligrams.
Bananas: 358 milligrams.
Broccoli: 293 milligrams.
Peas: 271 milligrams.
Cantaloupe: 267 milligrams.
Fresh tomatoes: 237 milligrams.
Orange juice: 200 milligrams
Orange: 166 milligrams.
Watermelon: 112 mg.
The importance of potassium for the body
The importance of this element for the body includes the following:
1. Reducing high blood pressure
Eating foods rich in potassium helps the body get rid of excess sodium in the urine, as high sodium levels cause high blood pressure.
2. Protection against the risk of stroke
A stroke occurs due to a decrease or interruption of blood supply to part of the brain, which may cause brain cells to die within minutes. This may occur due to blockage or narrowing of blood vessels, which may be caused by high blood pressure. Studies indicate that eating foods rich in potassium may reduce the risk of stroke by 21%.
3. Preventing osteoporosis
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and easily fractured, which occurs due to a decrease in bone mass as a result of calcium loss, and several studies indicate that eating foods rich in potassium helps reduce the body's loss of calcium.
4. Preventing kidney stones
A kidney stone is a solid mass of minerals and salts, such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. A stone may form inside the kidney when urine becomes very concentrated, allowing minerals to collect and deposit together. Stones may cause severe pain as they exit the urinary tract, and if they are large in size, they may cause urinary tract obstruction. As mentioned earlier, potassium helps reduce the excretion of calcium in the urine, which reduces the risk of kidney stones.
5. Reducing water retention in the body
Potassium acts as a diuretic, and helps the body get rid of sodium in the urine, which reduces water retention in the body.
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