#138 Potassium
What the mainstream isn't telling you about this essential electrolyte
98% of Americans are potassium deficient. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you are too. But just how bad is a potassium deficiency?
See, sodium isn’t the only electrolyte. That’s a common misconception. The four main ones are magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.
They all work hand in hand to maintain optimal metabolic health. When one pillar isn’t there, it’s only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down. One of the most important electrolyte relationships is the potassium:sodium ratio.
Both potassium and sodium work together to regulate the fluids in your body. Simply put, potassium is inside of your cells & sodium is outside your cells. When sodium enters a cell, potassium leaves.
This creates an electrical signal that powers nerve impulses for your heart beat, muscle contraction, reflexes, etc. Ideally, you’d want your potassium:sodium ratio to at least be a 1:1 Unfortunately, most people aren’t consuming enough potassium to meet their sodium intake.
When you don’t have enough potassium? The system malfunctions. Messages can’t be sent. You cripple this potassium x sodium relationship and you start having issues like muscle twitching to even irregular heartbeats.
Your body doesn’t do a good job at regulating water and you increase your chances of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. You could also start experiencing problems with your kidneys, from kidney stone formations to kidney damage and even failure.
How do you know if you have a potassium deficiency? Some common symptoms:
Frequent muscle cramps & twitches
Problems with digestion
Heart palpitations
Constant fatigue
Constant thirst
So how do we get more potassium in our cells? The answer is quite simple: Consume more foods that are rich in potassium! And no, you don’t need to eat 9 bananas a day (tbh they don’t even have that much potassium).
Start consuming coconut water instead of regular water or “sports drinks” intra workout. Coconut water is one of the greatest sources of potassium you can get.
Incorporate more potatoes in your meals. Just one russet potato has roughly 900mg - twice that of a banana. Yet, we rarely hear about how potassium rich potatoes are. If you’re consuming potatoes to increase your potassium levels, make sure to boil the potato whole. You’ll lose only about 16% of its potassium levels, compared to a baked potato. If you cube or cut the potato into smaller slices and then boil, you could lose anywhere from 45-75% of its potassium. (PMID: 18576999)
Eat more wild caught salmon. Avoid farmed salmon like it’s the plague. An easy way to do this is to buy packets of smoked salmon that you can eat just about anywhere. It’s the perfect snack.
List of potassium-rich sources:
Wild caught salmon
Russet potatoes
Coconut water
Sun-dried fruit
Leafy greens like kale
Avocados
Kiwis
Mushrooms
Orange juice
Bananas
Peas
Side note: Potassium is water-soluble. Keep that in mind when you boil plant foods. You could also use this to your advantage and throw some kale in the next time you make broth for an extra hit of potassium.
And please, if you don’t know what you’re doing do not supplement potassium. Consume too much and your kidneys are not going to handle it. You’ll get hyperkalemia. However, don’t worry if you’re taking an electrolyte supplement that has some potassium in it. That’s perfectly normal. We lose about 800mg sodium, 200mg potassium add ~10mg magnesium for every liter of sweat (which is lost in about an hour of moderate to hard exercise).
On the other hand, it’s generally safe to supplement magnesium. Our kidneys are built to excrete much higher levels easily. I generally like making sure there’s enough magnesium in my water, and I apply topical magnesium chloride quite religiously.
Why am I talking about magnesium? All the potassium you consume will not matter if you don’t have enough magnesium in your system. Your body will not be able to effectively use the potassium you’re consuming.
It’s sometimes crazy to me how doctors rarely look at electrolyte levels. Re-balancing them is one of the easiest things you can do to see a tangible improvement in your general health. But of course, the process takes time. Don’t expect it to work like a pill.
Re-introduce the appropriate foods to your diet, and give your body a few weeks. You will slowly start to see your symptoms go down, and you will feel a whole lot better.
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