Proven Benefits
❋ Ally of the heart: The sodium-potassium duo is essential for muscle contraction and therefore helps maintain normal heart rhythm. The absence of sodium can lead to cardiac arrhythmia.
❋ Balances the
amount of water in the body: Sodium acts by
retaining liquids in the body, while potassium causes water excretion.
Thus, when there is a balance between the two, there is also a balance of water in the body, allowing the body's functions to occur correctly.
❋ Regulates blood pressure: Excess sodium favors the increase of blood pressure. With the ingestion of suitable quantities of potassium, there is a balance between the elements.
Potassium has a positive effect on vascular tone, contributing to the reduction of blood pressure.
❋ Prevents stroke: Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for the onset of stroke, which occurs when there is a blockage or rupture of the vessels that carry blood to the brain, causing paralysis of the brain area without adequate blood circulation.
Studies prove that a diet rich in potassium causes a more significant reduction in blood pressure, thus preventing stroke.
❋ Muscle ally: Muscles are made up of muscle tissue and are characterized by their contractility, functioning by the contraction and extension of their fibers.
Muscle contraction occurs with the output of an electrical impulse from the central nervous system conducted to the muscle via a nerve.
This electrical stimulus triggers the action potential, which results in sodium (necessary for contraction) entering the cell, and potassium leaving the cell, thus stimulating the release of calcium.
The maintenance of the potassium concentration in the intracellular medium is vital for protein synthesis and respiration.
❋ Prevents cramps: Potassium is essential for physical activity practitioners because it is present in muscle reactions, and its deficiency can lead to cramps and injuries.
Potassium
Deficiency
The symptoms of potassium deficiency are muscle weakness, cramps, fatigue, heart changes, anorexia, and mental apathy.
The most common cause of hypokalemia, potassium deficiency, is excessive potassium loss in the urine caused by diuretic medication.
Vomiting and diarrhea can also lead to low potassium in the blood from the digestive tract.
Potassium Combinations
Combining magnesium with potassium is a good idea. This is because it has similar benefits to potassium.
Magnesium is an excellent activator of nitric oxide (a vasodilator substance), which directly affects lowering blood pressure.
Magnesium is also related to muscle contraction and fatigue. Thus, if magnesium is not found in adequate amounts in the body, muscle contraction does not occur.
It is about muscle contraction during physical exercise and involves various organs, such as the heart, for example.
Sources of
Potassium
The primary sources of potassium are roasted sunflower seeds, avocado, almonds, spinach, potatoes, beets, bananas, broccoli, celery, and skimmed yogurt.
Eating between 5 and 10 servings of these foods a day ensures reasonable amounts of potassium for the body.
The Recommended
Amount of Potassium
The recommended amount of potassium per day ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 grams per day.
Potassium Supplementation
Potassium supplements may be necessary for individuals who do not have enough potassium in their regular diet.
They are used in individuals who have lost too much potassium because of an illness or treatment with a particular medication. Doctors or nutritionists can only advise potassium supplementation.
Risks of
Excessive Consumption
Potassium-rich diets are unlikely to have adverse effects, except in patients with kidney failure.
Usually, all the potassium in the diet is processed to meet the body's needs, and the rest is excreted.
However, people
with kidney failure have problems excreting potassium, and in these
individuals, potassium can accumulate to high levels that can be fatal.