How Potassium Helps Keep Us Healthy

The Adequate intake for potassium is pretty high at 4,700mg/day. Most people actually don't get an adequate amount of potassium in their meals which is the reason the Adequate Intake level has been set so high. Diet programs that are higher in potassium can cause lower blood pressure, an increase in bone density, less chance of developing kidney stones and a decreased risk of stroke. Potassium plays a large role in making sure our muscles function properly. The majority of the potassium ions in our bodies are found within the muscle cells. If you experience muscle cramps, it might be due to a potassium deficiency. Brain functionality is an additional area that needs potassium. It's required in higher brain functions like memory and learning. It's also vital that those who deal with stress or anxiety are consuming enough potassium. Potassium is actually sometimes taken as a treatment for stress. It also helps to reduce blood pressure. It can also effect your blood sugar levels. If you are not consuming enough potassium, it may cause a drop in your blood sugar. Kidney stones can occasionally be caused by the overuse of supplements, yet in the case of potassium it's believed that it can actually prevent kidney stones from developing. It is also essential for keeping your skin healthy, maintaining your body water balance and regulating your heartbeats. As you can tell, potassium is vital and we need to be sure we are getting enough of it. There are some unwanted effects that can be brought on by potassium. These include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal gas. If you're ingesting an excessive amount of potassium then you can experience feelings of general weakness, paralysis, tingling or burning, dizziness, general confusion, low blood pressure and even potentially death. It's actually quite hard to be consuming too much potassium from your food plan alone but it's worth baring these negative effects in mind. Foods that are potassium rich include bananas, dates, figs, kiwi, orange, tuna, trout, cod, halibut, beef, chia seeds, chicken, pork, almonds, peanuts and beans. These are just some of many good sources of potassium. As you can tell, there are many great sources of potassium so the no reason not to be getting enough of it.