Are You Getting Enough Potassium In Your Diet

The Adequate Intake for potassium is quite high at 4,700mg per day. Most people actually don’t get enough potassium in their dies which is why the Adequate Intake level has been set so high. Bananas are well known for being rich in potassium when in actual fact, you would need to eat about 5 bananas to get 2,300mg of potassium. This just shows how hard it actually is to get 4,700mg of potassium packed into your diet!

Diets that are higher in potassium can lead to an increase in bone density, a decreased risk of stroke, less chance of developing kidney stones and lower blood pressure. Potassium plays a big role in ensuring our muscles function properly. Most of the potassium ions in our bodies are found inside the muscle cells. If you experience muscle cramps, it may be due to a potassium deficiency.

Another area that is greatly effected by our potassium levels is out brain function. It is an important part of learning and long term memory. People who suffer from issues such as stress or anxiety need to ensure that they are getting enough potassium. It’s even sometimes used as a treatment for stress. It’s present in each neuron in out brains. If someone is low on potassium, their body adjusts to it. Once a normal level of potassium is re-introduced into the system the person may experience extra sensitivity to light and sound.

Potassium can also change our blood pressure. Including more potassium in our diet could mean that our blood pressure is lower. Our blood sugar level can also be influenced. A diet that’s low in potassium could cause a low blood sugar level. Potassium is quite well known for helping prevent kidney stones. This is because it helps the kidney process other minerals. Other things that are effected by out potassium intake include out water balance, the regulation of our heart beats, the health of our skin and more.

As you can see, potassium is vital and we need to ensure we are getting enough of it. There are some side effects that can be caused by potassium. These include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal gas. If you’re consuming too much potassium then you can experience feelings of general weakness, tingling or burning, paralysis, dizziness, low blood pressure, general confusion and even potentially death. It’s actually quite hard to be consuming too much potassium from your diet alone but it’s worth baring these side effects in mind.

Some other foods that are high in potassium include bananas, dates, figs, kiwi, orange, tuna, trout, cod, halibut, beef, chicken, pork, almonds, peanuts and beans. These are just a few good sources of potassium. I’m quite a fan of chia seeds too. There’s about 160mg of potassium in 100g of chia seeds. They are a good way to top up your potassium levels but they also contain a load more benefits. They are rich in Omega 3, 6, calcium, B vitamins, antioxidants and much more. As you can see you have a decent number of options so you have no excuses. If you do find that you’re not getting enough potassium from your diet then you can always just use supplements.

Potassium can be found in chia seeds. To find out more about chia seeds side effects, head over to chiaseedshq.com!