Do You Know Why Your Body Needs Potassium?

Do you know the amazing roles potassium plays in your body? If not read on! Potassium is a mineral which helps keep your blood pressure in a healthy range and helps prevent the risk of heart disease as well as stroke. Do you like being alive? Well potassium helps your heartbeat and for those who enjoy having muscle and ‘gains’ potassium also plays a role in building the protein and muscle in your body. The usefulness of potassium does not stop there! This mineral also helps your kidneys stay healthy and helps your body create energy from the food you eat. Convinced you need to make sure you are getting enough potassium for health?

Firstly, how much do you need? Adults aged between 14-70 years old are recommended to get 4700mg of potassium a day. There are lots of different foods and drinks which can help you achieve this, from whole foods like vegetables, legumes (beans), wholegrains, nuts and seeds, meat, dairy and fruits but also other foods and drinks. Here is a list of sources which contain moderate to high amounts of potassium to help your body meet its potassium needs:

• Banana 422mg

• All (100%) Bran cereals( ½ cup) 430mg

• Milk or Buttermilk, 1% milk fat. (1 cup) 390mg

• Yogurt, plain, 1% milk fat (¾ cup) 410mg

• Tomato paste, canned (¼ cup) 658mg

• Baked beans, canned in tomato sauce (¾ cup) 552mg

• Lentils, cooked (¾ cup) 540mg

• Sweet potato, baked in skin & removed (½ cup) 502mg

• Pumpkin & squash seed kernels, roasted (¼ cup) 454mg

• Egg, whole 2 large 113mg

• Salmon, baked 75 g 379mg

Wholegrains are a good source of potassium compared to their refined grain varieties. Per ½ cup serve wholegrain will give you approximately 200mg of potassium. Good sources of wholegrains, or wholegrain containing foods are brown, red, or black rice, wholegrain pasta, couscous, bread, crackers, also Corn Thins slices, quinoa and oats.

Take home message: It may be small but this mineral has a big role for your body and is another reason to structure your eating to achieve a balanced diet and if you need help with this see an Accredited Practicing Dietitian.

References:

1. Practice TGRfN. High Potassium Eating British Columbia: Province of British Columbia; 2017 [updated 2013; cited 2017 14/08/2017]. Available from: file:///C:/Users/Ashleigh/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/VPJI7M6R/PEN_handout.pdf.
2. Wholegrains. National Kidney Foundation. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/whole-grains