Does increasing potassium lower sodium?
Answers
Explanation:
Foods that are rich in potassium are important in managing high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) because potassium lessens the effects of sodium. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose through urine. Potassium also helps to ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps further lower blood pressure.
Increasing potassium through diet is recommended in adults with blood pressure above 120/80 who are otherwise healthy. Potassium can be harmful in patients with kidney disease, any condition that affects how the body handles potassium, or those who take certain medications. The decision of whether to take excess potassium should be discussed with your doctor.
Potassium and your diet
The recommended potassium intake for an average adult is 4,700 milligrams (mg) per day.
Many of the elements of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet — fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) dairy foods and fish — are good natural sources of potassium. For example, a medium banana has about 420 mg of potassium and half a cup of plain mashed sweet potatoes has 475 mg.
Other potassium-rich foods include:
Apricots and apricot juice
Avocados
Cantaloupe and honeydew melon
Fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk
Fat-free yogurt
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice (talk to your healthcare provider if you’re taking a cholesterol-lowering drug)
Greens
Halibut
Lima beans
Molasses
Mushrooms
Oranges and orange juice
Peas
Potatoes
Prunes and prune juice
Raisins and dates
Spinach
Tomatoes, tomato juice and tomato sauce
Tuna
Potassium is only one component of a well-rounded plan for blood pressure health
Even though potassium can lessen the blood pressure-raising effects of sodium, eating more potassium should be combined with your efforts to break up with that excess salt and develop other healthy eating and lifestyle habits.
Is it possible to have too much potassium?
Too much potassium can be harmful in people with kidney disorders. As kidneys become less able to remove potassium from your blood, too much potassium may build up.
Often, like high blood pressure, there aren’t many symptoms of high potassium (hyperkalemia). Feeling sick to your stomach, a low, weak or irregular pulse and fainting may occur with high levels of potassium.
Consult with a healthcare professional before taking any over-the-counter potassium supplement. You should also ask your doctor before trying salt substitutes, which can raise potassium in people with certain health conditions and those taking ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure.