Potassium
Potassium is an extremely important macromineral that plays a critical role in the way the body functions. On a daily basis, the human body requires at least 100 milligrams of potassium, for it to function adequately and to support various crucial processes.

Transmitting signals from nerves, enabling muscle contractions, ensuring fluid balance, and processing various chemical reactions, are a few key processes that potassium is responsible for. In fact, one of the primary duties of potassium is to regulate the balance of fluids in your body and control the electrical activity of the muscles.

Research suggests that incorporating potassium into your diet can lower the risk of your overall mortality by around 20 per cent. Additionally, a good amount of potassium can protect you from the risk of strokes. It can also protect you from the loss of muscle mass. It can also lower blood pressure, help preserve the mineral density in your bones, and lower your risk of forming kidney stones.

Foods high in potassium
Potassium is extremely important for the body. However, the human body is incapable of producing potassium on its own. Due to this reason, it is imperative to consume foods that are rich in potassium. A few potassium-rich foods are mentioned below…

Fruits that are rich in potassium include bananas, apricots, grapefruit, orange, cantaloupe, honeydew
Dry fruits such as prunes, dates, and raisins.
Vegetables such as Sweet potatoes, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Spinach, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Cucumbers, zucchini, and great leafy vegetables.
You can make juice from certain potassium-rich fruits such as orange juice, tomato juice, apricot juice, grapefruit juice
Dairy products like yoghurt and milk are high in potassium as well.
Include fish like halibut, tuna, trout, cod, and rockfish in your diet, as these are rich in potassium as well.
Legumes and beans such as pinto beans, Lima beans, kidney beans, lentils, soybeans.
Nuts, meat and poultry, brown rice, wild rice, molasses, salt substitutes, whole wheat bread, potassium supplements, and bran, are all rich sources of potassium.
It is extremely important to add foods that are rich in potassium into your diet.

Normal potassium levels
On average, the human body requires close to 4,700 milligrams of potassium on a daily basis.
However, this value changes if you have kidney ailments or chronic kidney diseases. Most people who have a kidney disorder are advised to consume a lower level of potassium as it can interfere with kidney function. This is to ensure that too much potassium does not get accumulated in your body. In case you are suffering from any particular kidney disease, consult your doctor to find out what the adequate potassium limit for you would be.

Potassium benefits
Consuming foods that are rich in potassium is often linked to several health benefits. Let’s look into a few important health benefits associated with potassium

Potassium And Blood Pressure
One of the qualities of potassium is that it can lower the levels of sodium in the body. Excess sodium in the body is often associated with high blood pressure.
It has been observed that by lowering the levels of salt in the body, potassium can reduce high blood pressure as well.

Close to 33 studies were conducted, and it has been concluded that on increasing the intake of potassium in people with high blood pressure, a notable difference was observed. There was a decrease of 3.49 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure and a decrease of 1.96 mmHg in their diastolic blood pressure levels.

Additionally, in another study, it was observed that people who consumed more potassium experienced a dip in their high blood pressure levels as opposed to those who consumed only a little potassium. This study was conducted on close to 1,285 participate, all of who were within the age group 25 to 64.

Potassium And Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a medical condition of the bones. In people suffering from osteoporosis, their bones tend to become porous, hollow, and weak. In most cases, osteoporosis is caused due to the deficiency of calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is important for bone health, while vitamin D ensures that the body is able to absorb calcium.

Now potassium to plays a significant role in the good health of your bones. It does this by influencing the amount of calcium that is lost through urine. In consuming a potassium-rich diet, you reduce the amount of calcium that is eliminated through urine.

A study was conducted on a group of 62 women, who were well within the age of 45 to 55. They were given food that was rich in potassium. It was observed that these women had a great total bone mass.

Additionally, another study was conducted on premenopausal women. Over 900 healthy women were given potassium-rich foods. By the end of the study, it was observed that these women had more bone mass in their hip bones and lower backbones, as opposed to women who didn’t consume as much potassium.

Potassium And Strokes
There have been several reports that claim that potassium can help prevent strokes as well. A stroke is a medical condition that is characterized by the lack of sufficient blood flow to the brain. It can prove to be extremely fatal. A stroke is also a risk factor for heart disease.

An analysis was conducted on 33 studies. This also included the analysis of close to 128,644 participants. The analysis concluded that people who consumed a potassium-rich diet were at a lower risk of getting a stroke.

Potassium And Kidney Stones
One of the qualities of potassium citrate is that it can lower the levels of calcium in the urine. Kidney stones are a result of excess clumps of certain material in the urine. One of the most common minerals that is found in kidney stones, is calcium. Consuming a potassium-rich diet can lower the levels of calcium, thereby reducing the risk of you getting kidney stones. I’m fact, a four-year study was conducted in close to 45,619 men. It was observed that their risk of getting kidney stones was lowered by close to 51%, after the consumption of potassium on a daily basis. A similar study was conducted one a group of 91,731 women. This was a twelve-year study. These women enjoyed a 35% lower risk of kidney stones after consuming a good amount of potassium on a daily basis.

Potassium And Water Retention
When there is a build-up of fluids in your body, you experience water retention. To treat this, potassium has been used, as it is effective in reducing water retention in your body. There are a few studies which prove that a good intake of potassium on a regular basis can lower water retention in your body, by reducing the levels of sodium and increasing the production of urine. To reduce water retention, doctors prescribe diuretics. But with urine, patients often lose potassium, which may lead to complications later. In some cases, doctors can prescribe potassium-sparing diuretics to patients suffering from excess water retention. These are medicines that stop the body from passing excess potassium via urine.

In conclusion
Potassium is a mineral that is extremely important for the overall functioning of your body. From sending signals to your brain to keeping your muscles and bones in optimal health, potassium does it all. Your heart, kidney, liver, and all other organs require potassium. The body does not produce potassium on its own, so it is important that you consume dietary supplements and foods that are high in potassium. On a daily basis, ensure that you get at least 4,700 mg of potassium. If your diet is a healthy one, chances are that you are already getting a good amount of potassium. In case you suspect that you have a potassium deficiency, consult your health care provider. Doctors may ask you to take a blood test, to check for potassium deficiency.