I have a question

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Gwynn

Gwynn

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Recently I have had some tests to see if my heart is ok. On the way I discovered that my blood serum potassium level was right at the bottom end of normal. The Dr acknowledged my very low pulse, occasional irregular heart beat and lower blood pressure. He did not tell me about my meds affecting potassium absorption (found that out for myself). I got the feeling that the doctor didn't really have a handle on it at all.

Upon looking around the internet a bit further I discovered that low potassium levels can be bad news for the heart and nerves (amongst other things) as can too high a level.

Started doing a potassium analysis of the food I eat and lo and behold it was quite low, way below the recommended amount.

So it has led to a question that I can't seem to resolve.

If I look around the internet I find the recommended amount of daily potassium is 3000mg, 3500mg, 4000mg, 4700mg with at least one web site saying anything over 4700mg is very bad news.

Also I have read on several sites including a USA government site that says 98% of all Americans only consume half or less of their recommended daily requirement for potassium.

So, does anyone actually know for sure what the true recommended daily requirement for potassium is?

And

Why are 98% of all Americans not ill with potassium deficiency.

Something is not right. Either the recommended requirement, or the reporting of ill Americans, or something else I cannot determine.

I myself changed my diet and started taking potassium, magnesium, zinc supplements after my analysis showed I was consuming too little and feel a whole lot better for it and both my pulse and blood pressure are now consistently in the normal range. And I have more energy, feel well, better balance, no pain ( used to get tingly toes, aching hips and legs), all sorts of things feel improved.

Of course it could all be completely unrelated to my increased potassium uptake, but it does make me wonder.

I now aim to get my dietry potassium to between 3500 and 4000mg a day supplementing if required. But is this right? I do not know for sure. But my next blood serum tests, at the end of this month, will help resolve that.
.

Answers on a postcard please....
 
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I can’t answer your question @Gwynn but I’m interested in how you changed your diet to get more potassium. I’ve had nighttime cramps and wonder if I’m low on potassium. It’s hard to find much information about it.
 
My wife had a kidney transplant last year and Potassium is one of the many things being measured regularly. The normal range is 3.5 to 5 mmol. The important thing is not the grams of potassium you eat but the blood level reading in mmol.
 
Its one of the symptoms of low potassium

My diet changed increasing my raspberries, using LoSalt, increasing nuts, increasing fish and meat, and increasing bananas. But ensuring I kept all the other diet parameters within good levels.

Biggest change was cutting out butter and Salad Cream oh, an increasing drinking water

Most nutrition sites do give potassium for each food making it possible to work it all out (I use my own App).

Of course it was difficult to also keep the carbohydrates down too which at the moment are now about 120g a day (used to be less than 100g).

On top of that balancing act I also ensure my saturated fats are kept low, protein high, unsaturated fats high, fibre high, cholesterol low, sodium low. It's quite a game....but possible.

Todays dietary potassium is 3488mg plus the supplements gives about 4000mg. Minus the med effect. Gives about ??? Still, its got to be better than before where it was around 1800mg a day.
 
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I find the US NIH supplement fact sheets useful. They come in consumer https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/ and "professional" https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/ versions.

Anyway, by the US standards, adequate intake for adult males is 3,400mg per day, and 2,600 mg for females.

On US status:

Dietary surveys consistently show that people in the United States consume less potassium than recommended, which is why the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies potassium as a “nutrient of public health concern” [26]. According to data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the average daily potassium intake from foods is 2,423 mg for males aged 2–19, and 1,888 mg for females aged 2–19 [27]. In adults aged 20 and over, the average daily potassium intake from foods is 3,016 mg for men and 2,320 mg for women.

So a bit below the assumed "adequate" levels for 20+ year olds, but not massively so. Increases the risk of high BP and other nasties, as discussed, but not something which is going to make people fall off their perches right away.

The BP & other effects are most pronounced where low potassium combines with high sodium.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
It's not hard to find suggestions of foods that are claimed to be good sources of potassium. I remembered bananas, but according to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/potassium-test/ there's not many foods that not a good source of dietary potassium.
Click to expand...

Thanks @Bruce Stephens Bananas were the first thing that came to mind for me too, but unfortunately I can’t eat them anymore (intolerance not carb-related).

I’m eating some raspberries now @Gwynn so that’s good, and I’ve used Lo Salt for a while. I do eat fish but not meat. Going to read some of the above links (thanks @Eddy Edson too).
 
@Inka I always mind my gran drinking tonic water every night for cramps (the g&t kind (minus the gin) not the miracle cure kind) for the quinine.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leg-cramps/
mentions quinine being a treatment on there too 🙂 Cautionary thing as always, not always suitable for everyone so check etc x
 
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I have been drinking tonic water (of the gin variety), recently. I am usually a tea drinker but it's a bit hot for that at the moment, water gets a bit boring after a while and fruit juice and squash require insulin. So I treat myself to alcohol free gin and slimline tonic in the afternoon. The gin equivalent is not cheap but I don't need much to add some botanicals to my tonic.
 
I was looking a while ago for foods with good potassium as my other half's sister is low on potassium and had been eating lots of bananas but is hugely overweight. I found spinach, oranges, lentils, tomatoes and tomato juice and avocados were quite good even tea and coffee.
 
Thanks @Eddy Edson yes I have seen these and plenty of other sites and your post is helpful.

I am not overly concerned however, I am pleased with the positive effects so far. Hmm I might now be aiming a tad high towards 4000mg. But then the interaction with my meds has to be taken into account.

Interesting
 
Judging by the sheer number of mosquitos who've sustained their lives by sucking my blood over the years whether in Europe, America, India, the Caribbean, Australia, the Maldives or Australia whilst consistently drinking iced G&T, yet I have never so far got malaria, I've always reckoned that must be down to the quinine in the tonic and always said I only add the eg Bombay Sapphire to hide the nasty taste of quinine.

ie I drink G&T for health reasons.
 
I have never tried a G&T. Maybe I should. The health benefits could be remarkable 🙂
 
I love how we go from potassium to advocating the drinking of G&T :rofl:
While I feel somewhat responsible for the derail, @Gwynn you are also derailing your own thread 😛
(wish I could add to the potassium question)
 
I think a sense of humour can really help. It certainly helps me.

Rats, I forgot to buy some gin after my morning walk 🙂
 
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Todays meals give me 3634mg of potassium. The new analysis really helps me.

Still feeling really well, BP normal, pulse normal. All now consistently good. I am amazed even if I am possibly incorrectly pointing the finger at potassium for the improvements I am seeing.
 
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