NUTRIENT LIBRARY

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Nutrient Library - Potassium

• What does it do?
• How much do you need?
• What are the best food sources?
• What happens if you don’t get enough?
• What happens if you get too much?
• What are some recipes that are good sources of potassium?
• Back to Nutrient Library

What does it do?

Potassium is critical for helping nerves transmit signals, muscles contract and cells maintain fluid balance inside and out. Newer scientific evidence demonstrates that potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure. Potassium also decreases the chances of recurrent kidney stones and possibly reduces bone loss.

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How much do you need?

The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

NOTE: The table is adapted from the Dietary Reference Intakes reports. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), when available, are in bold type; Adequate Intakes (AIs) are followed by an asterisk(*). RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake. RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all individuals (97 to 98 percent) in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data means the percentage of individuals covered by this intake cannot be specified with confidence.
UL = The maximum level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water and supplements.

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What are the best food sources?

If you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, then you are probably consuming enough potassium. Particularly good sources of potassium include bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkin, spinach, raisins and root vegetables. Generally, more-processed foods have less potassium. See more food sources and calculate your daily intake.

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What happens if you don’t get enough?

Abnormally low potassium levels in the body (hypokalemia) do not usually occur from low dietary intakes of potassium. Hypokalemia is most often the result of too much potassium lost from the body, such as in persistent cases of diarrhea or vomiting or due to laxative abuse. The symptoms of this condition include muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms and abnormal glucose responses.

According to researchers, moderate potassium deficiency—that which occurs prior to hypokalemia—can cause increases in blood pressure and bone loss and put someone at risk for calcium-containing kidney stones. Unfortunately, moderate potassium deficiency is often silent because its symptoms (such as increased blood pressure and bone turnover) do not initially provide obvious outward signs. So, eat your fruits and veggies!

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What happens if you get too much?

High potassium intakes from food have not been shown to cause adverse effects in healthy individuals. However, high doses of potassium from supplements can be toxic. Toxic doses of potassium supplements can cause a range of symptoms from gastrointestinal distress and abnormally high blood levels of potassium to heart irregularities. Bottom line: Stay within range of the recommended intakes.

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What are some recipes that are good sources of potassium?

• Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans
• Black Bean & Hominy Succotash with Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms
• Broiled Salmon with Miso Glaze
• Charred Tomato and Chicken Tacos
• North African Spiced Turkey with Avocado-Grapefruit Relish
• Orange & Avocado Salad
• Pea & New Potato Salad
• Shrimp Veracruzana
• Spring Onion Soup
• Steamed Mussels in Tomato Broth

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