Potassium which is a mineral required for your body to work properly, it is also a form of a mineral. Similarly Sodium and Calcium is also important Potassium also a mineral. Potassium is found in some food items like calcium and sodium. It is crucial to consume a good amount of potassium in your diet, to keep you healthy, there are a lot of food available which are high in potassium.
However Potassium is essential for good health, but consuming too much potassium can also become risky worst than getting enough for your body. Your kidney plays a role in flushing out the extra potassium out of your body and keep you body balanced. But there is a possibility that the level of potassium in your blood can go high. This is also called hyperkalemia or high potassium.
According to the experts from Mayo Clinic, a normal range of potassium is calculated from 3.6 and 5.2 millimoles per liter of your blood. But they also warns about potassium level going beyond 5.5 mmol/L is critically high and potassium level over 6 mmoI/L can become life threatening
Even though you have a normal or mild hyperkalemia, you should get diagnosed from your doctor on a regular basis to prevent such complications.
But let us see first what are high food sources if your Potassium level is low
Foods those are high in Potassium
There are no of food items which are high source of potassium, and which you consume on a daily basis knowingly or unknowingly.
If you are in need of boosting your potassium level up then start including high level of food items in your daily routine.
Find below the list of food items which are rich in potassium.
- Orange,
- Banana,
- Honeydew
- Apricots
- Grapefruit, etc.
Dry Fruits like
- Dates, raisins, prunes as all of them are high on potassium
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Mushrooms
- Eggplants
- Pumpkins
Potassium-rich fruit juices is also a good choice
- Grapefruit juice
- Apricot Juice
- Orange juice
- Tomato Juice
Even dairy products like yogurt, milk are also high on potassium low-fat or fat-free is also available and best to have.
Let’s see some fish which are also high on potassium
- Tuna
- Rock fish
- Trout
- Cod Halibut
We also have some beans who are rich in potassium
- Lentils
- Soy beans
- Kidney beans
- Pinto beans
- Lima beans
Some more food items that are rich in potassium
- Brown and white rice
- Nuts
- Molasses
- Meat and poultry
- Bran cereals
- Whole wheat bread and pasta
So we have seen all types of food items that are high in potassium, but do you know how much potassium you should consume or you how much milligram should be having on a daily basis?
How much potassium you should have on a daily basis?
You should at least have 4,700 milligrams of potassium on a daily basis.
Most americans don’t meet the target. If you are diagnosed with kidney related diseases then your need might be different. If you are having a kidney disease then you should consume less than 4,700 milligram of potassium.
If a kidney is not functioning properly then consuming too much of potassium can be a problem.
The potassium will stay in your body can cause nerve and muscle issues. It is recommended to ask you potassium limit if you are facing kidney issues.
What if your potassium intake exceeds and what measures will you take to reduce your potassium level to become normalise? Let us see below.
What are Home Remedies to Reduce Potassium Level?
If your potassium level goes higher and if it is severe issue then you should look for the doctor right away. But if it is just above normal level and you want to reduce it then you can simply follow some home remedies to reduce your potassium level.
But we recommend you to get instructed before following these methods at your own.
One easiest way to reduce the potassium level is to reduce the potassium intake in your diet. Limiting the potassium intake those are high on potassium, these are some list of foods which are rich in potassium.
- Cod Beef
- Apricots
- Milk
- Bananas
- Nuts
- Beans
The best way is to get prescribed from your doctor about your diet plan. Or your dietitian can suggest you too.
Why Does your Body Needs Potassium?
It helps your blood pressure to be in normalize stage, and it does in multiple ways.
For your Kidney, too much sodium is not good for your body, so it helps removing extra sodium from your body through urine. Sodium causes high blood pressure.
Potassium loosen up your blood vessels walls, if you are tensed, or angry it will lead to high blood pressure, and can cause heart issues. Having considerable potassium will make you stay away from heart problems, which is good for you and your heart.
Potassium also helps in for muscle health, so you will be able to flex and contract your muscles the way you want. And same goes with your nerves they can function smoothly if you have a good amount of potassium.
Read Article –Green (unripe) or Yellow (ripe) Bananas: Which Banana is good for your health?
