Potassium and Health

Abstract

Potassium was identified as a shortfall nutrient by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 Advisory Committee. The committee concluded that there was a moderate body of evidence of the association between potassium intake and blood pressure reduction in adults, which in turn influences the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. Evidence is also accumulating of the protective effect of adequate dietary potassium on age-related bone loss and reduction of kidney stones. These benefits depend on organic anions associated with potassium as occurs in foods such as fruits and vegetables, in contrast to similar blood pressure-lowering benefits of potassium chloride. Benefits to blood pressure and bone health may occur at levels below current recommendations for potassium intake, especially from diet, but dose-response trials are needed to confirm this. Nevertheless, intakes considerably above current levels are needed for optimal health, and studies evaluating small increases in fruit and vegetable intake on bone and heart outcomes for short periods have had disappointing results. In modern societies, Western diets have led to a decrease in potassium intake with reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables with a concomitant increase in sodium consumption through increased consumption of processed foods. Consumption of white vegetables is associated with decreased risk of stroke, possibly related to their high potassium content. Potatoes are the highest source of dietary potassium, but the addition of salt should be limited. Low potassium-to-sodium intake ratios are more strongly related to cardiovascular disease risk than either nutrient alone. This relationship deserves further attention for multiple target tissue endpoints.

Pharmacognostical and Physicochemical Analysis of Cleome viscosa L. Seeds

“…16 Magnesium is an important "helper molecule" of many enzymes mainly involved in energy metabolism, production of protein and for maintaining electrical potential of nerve tissue and cell membranes. 17 There is an important role of sulphur in synthesis of protein, regeneration of cells and cleansing of blood. 18 The presence of these important elements in Cleome viscosa…”

The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Between Meals in a Cross-Sectional Study of a Health Oriented Adult Population

“…This finding is somewhat intriguing if salty snacks are taken in consideration although the link between high salt intake and hypertension is still a matter of scientific debate [21]. A plausible explanation of the inverse association found in our study could be related to the beneficial effect of healthy snacks, such as fruits, known for their high potassium content [22].…”

Sodium and Potassium Intake in Healthy Adults in Thessaloniki Greater Metropolitan Area—The SING (Salt Intake in Northern Greece) Study

“…It has been suggested that individuals with diets that are low in potassium are particularly vulnerable to the hypertensive effects of high sodium intake [20,21]. Hence, the ratio of sodium-to-potassium may be more reliable than either nutrient alone in predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease [22,23]. In addition to sodium, potassium can also be determined accurately in 24h urine collections, hence avoiding the need to rely on reported dietary intake data and national up-to-date food composition tables.…”