Do What's Best for Your Body - Eat Potassium Rich Foods

Potassium is a vital mineral salt that helps balance the pH of your body's fluids, making it imperative that you maintain a diet of foods rich in potassium. In addition, potassium is important to your body in maintaining healthy blood pressure, proper bone mass, and adrenal functions. It regulates the nervous system, muscle function, as well as your heart, kidney, and renal functions. A deficit in potassium can be very dangerous to the overall health of your body and lead to very serious complications. The good news is that for most people, potassium levels can be maintained with a balanced diet of potassium rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.

Medical Conditions

Pertaining to Potassium For most people, maintaining healthy potassium levels is easy, and only requires a diet of potassium rich foods. However, there are conditions in which a person's body does not absorb potassium, or stores too much of the mineral. Hypokalemia, or low potassium, exists when your body does not absorb the potassium that you ingest, and supplements are required to bring your potassium levels up to a healthy range. Its counterpart, hyperkalemia, is a condition in which your body will not dispose of unneeded potassium, which can then reach toxic levels. Both conditions are treatable with medication and an appropriate diet.

Potassium Rich Foods

Packed with anti-oxidants, fruits and vegetables also offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including potassium. Bananas and cantaloupes are loaded with the mineral, but they are not alone. Other potassium rich foods include apricots, strawberries, and oranges. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are also high in potassium, as are halibut and tuna. Brussels sprouts, chard, and cabbage also make the list.

Symptoms of Low Potassium

Your body will let you know that your potassium levels are not what they should be before your supply is dangerously depleted. If you experience any combination of the following symptoms, consult your physician and increase your intake of potassium rich foods: weakness and tiredness, cramping in the legs or arms, extremely low blood pressure, numbness, or arrhythmias.

Signs that Your Potassium is Low

It is dangerous to deprive your body of potassium rich foods, whether due to poor overall nutrition or starvation diets; your body will give off a number of warning signs if your potassium levels dip too low. At the first signs of weakness, exhaustion, cramping in the extremities, a sever drop in blood pressure, numbness, or heart arrhythmias, see your doctor immediately to have your levels checked.

Include potassium rich foods in your diet today for healthy eating. Visit our site today for a list of foods rich in potassium.

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