Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a painful cramp in your calf? Or entered the chute at the end of a marathon and felt your thigh seize with no warning? These types of muscle cramps, as well as a host of other more serious conditions, may actually be caused by a potassium deficiency.
WHAT DOES POTASSIUM DO?
Potassium is an electrolyte (like sodium, magnesium, and chloride) which works to conduct and balance electrical impulses in your body. In sufficient amounts, these substances aid your body in regulating basic functions like muscle contractions and nerve impulses. However, when electrolyte levels get too low, and particularly potassium levels get too low, we can start to experience problems. In theory, we can ingest proper amounts of potassium through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. In practice, however, the typical American diet, which is high in processed foods and low in whole plant-based foods, has left as much as 95% of the population in varying states of potassium deficiency.
WHY IS POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY BAD?
In addition to being low in potassium, our often imperfect diets are also much higher in sodium than health experts recommend. This exacerbates the imbalance between these two partner electrolytes. Remember that electrolytes in proper balance are responsible for muscle contraction (like your heartbeat) and nerve impulses (which control cell function). Temporary disruption of these processes (from vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive sweating) can result in a variety of symptoms ranging from Charlie Horse-like cramps and fatigue to abdominal pain and an irregular heartbeat. For such symptoms, eating a potassium-rich food can provide almost immediate relief. However, long-term potassium deficiency which results from poor diet, bariatric surgery, alcoholism, or abuse of laxatives and diuretics can eventually result in more serious conditions such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and low blood sugar.
HOW CAN I GET MORE POTASSIUM IN MY DIET?
The easiest way to increase potassium intake is to eat a diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. Foods like avocados, baked white potatoes and sweet potatoes with the skin, cooked beet greens, spinach, tomatoes, carrot juice, legumes, and bananas are all potassium rich foods which will help you get the 4700mg per day recommended by the Institute of Medicine. You can also supplement your plant-derived intake from certain sources of protein including whole-milk yogurt, clams, and meaty fish such as halibut or tuna. If you still come up short, you could add a high-quality potassium supplement. Be aware that the vast majority of commercial multi-vitamins contain no more than 100mg of potassium to protect people with kidney disease for whom too much potassium can be dangerous.
The benefits of a potassium-rich diet make it worth your while to be intentional about potassium intake. Doing so can ensure:
- Healthy heart and cell function
- Reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease
- Optimal blood pressure and blood sugar
