Health Benefits and Top Food Sources of Potassium

Potassium is a mineral which serves a number of purposes inside your body. In spite its importance to so many functions and systems of your body, many individuals hardly consume the standard suggested daily proportions of this crucial mineral. This is very unfortunate because long-term deficiency could contribute to or even directly result in a variety of health issues as well as complications not only to your body but also to your lifestyle.

Health Benefits of Potassium in Your Diet

Helping to control your body’s fluid levels is among the greatest functions of potassium. Not only that but it has a huge part in managing your blood pressure as well. Additionally it also helps your body to keep the heart thumping in a steady way and is also vital to your nervous system. Potassium works to encourage the regular functioning of the tissue which makes up the nervous system. It also helps to improves muscle control plus the development as well as health of cells especially through its importance with respect to waste product removal. The mineral is also crucial to your kidneys in their waste removal process. Potassium plays a crucial role to physical processes and also mental functions. It assists to encourage effective cognitive functioning by playing an important role in getting oxygen to your brain cells.

Failing to meet the required standard that is suggested daily may lead to a various types of negative effects for physical health as well as mental well-being both. Physical symptoms may include twitching and muscular cramps, actual muscle damage, weak reflexes, fragile bones, fatigue, abnormal heart beat & other cardiovascular irregularities, lung failure, kidney failure & cardiac arrest. Mental symptoms may include nervous issues of various types, insomnia, anorexia, depression and a slowdown of cognitive processes.

There are few health conditions that could make a person more prone to suffering from a potassium deficiency. They include health conditions that require the use of special types of diuretics, alcoholism, periods consisting of high stress levels and illnesses or situations that result in excessive periods of vomiting and diarrhea . Few conditions of your own making may contribute to the deficiency of potassium. They include excessive intake of caffeine & a diet made up of processed foods mostly. Eating excessive amount of salt on a regular basis can also lead to the decrease of potassium in your body.

Your body is a complex systems in which there exist a very delicate chemical balance which keeps everything functioning properly. Disruption to this system is going to have serious consequences with few being more severe as compared to others. Few of these effects may take the form of irreversible damage or a disease. As we all know, prevention is always better than a cure. One of the most crucial parts of prevention includes balanced nutrition levels. Ensuring that you regularly intake the standard suggested daily intake of the mineral, vitamins & other nutrients which your body needs is the first important step in order to keep a healthy mind and physic.

Top Food Sources of Potassium

• Adzuki Beans (1 cup cooked) – 35% DV

• Swiss Chard (1 cup) – 27% DV 

• Baked Potato with Skin – 26% DV

• Dried Apricots or Peaches (1/2 cup) – 22% DV

• Acorn Squash (1 cup, cubed) – 26% DV

• Avocado – 16% DV

• Wild Salmon (3 oz fillet) – 15% DV

• White Mushrooms (1 cup, sliced) – 12% DV

• Banana – 12% DV

Potassium in Coconut Water

In addition to natural food sources of potassium, you may want to consider trying coconut water! You can get 13% of your daily value of potassium in just 8oz of Coconut water.

Stay healthy and happy!

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