Potassium is a special mineral. It is found in all kinds of foods. Potassium is necessary for proper brain function. Potassium plays an important role in balancing the body’s pH level. When you do a lot of physical exertion, it is good for your muscles and mental well-being to consume potassium-rich food. Some people with kidney problems, on the other hand, have a potassium surplus. Medicines can also cause too much potassium in the body. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Top sport and bananas
• Top 10 potassium-containing foods
• Potassium Deficiency or Hypokalemia
• Symptoms of potassium deficiency
• Short fuse or potassium deficiency?
• Potassium excess and limited kidney function
• Conditions that lead to potassium deficiency

Top sport and bananas

Many top athletes regularly eat bananas. Bananas contain a lot of potassium. You can make up for two hours of top-level sport in terms of potassium consumption with an extra banana, glass of fresh orange juice or potato. Potassium helps the muscles recover faster. Therefore, a lot of potassium is consumed during heavy exertion. That is the reason why bananas and top sports go well together.

Top 10 potassium-containing foods

Below is a top 10 of the foods that contain the most potassium. This list contains a striking number of legumes.Chard / Source: Jonathunder, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

1. Chard
2. Butter bean or lima bean
3. Potatoes
4. Yam
5. Mung beans or soy beans,
6. Spinach,
7. Papaya,
8. Pinto beans or speckled beans
9. Lentils,
10. Kidney beans.

 Kidney beans / Source: Sanjay Acharya, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)Other nutrients that also contain a lot of potassium but that fall just outside the above top 10 are: basil, tomatoes, cauliflower, asparagus, kale, celery, fennel, cucumber, eggplant, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, cantaloupe melon, carrots, beets and peppers. Each of these vegetables contains less potassium when you cook them.

Potassium Deficiency or Hypokalemia

Potassium deficiency or Hypokalemia can have serious consequences. A potassium deficiency is not easy to develop under normal circumstances. Yet there are many people with a potassium deficiency due to medications, hard exercise or alcohol abuse. The Netherlands has 1 million problem drinkers and alcoholics. Alcohol can change many bodily functions. A potassium supplement is not always necessary because you can get enough potassium with a healthy diet. However, when prescribing diuretic medications (water pills), some doctors will also recommend potassium supplements.Potatoes contain a lot of potassium / Source: Spedona, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Symptoms of potassium deficiency

Symptoms of a potassium deficiency include:

• Constipation
• Stomach cramps
• Muscle cramps
• Muscle weakness
• Mental confusion
• Serious mental problems such as psychosis, delirium, hallucinations
• Fatigue
• Fainting due to low blood pressure
• Irritability
• Heart problems
• Chronic diarrhea

Short fuse or potassium deficiency?

Some people with a short fuse think this is their character trait. They quickly become angry about a negative event. It does not necessarily have to be the case that irritability is innate. It can also be a result of potassium deficiency. Eating an extra banana every day and adding some legumes to your diet can save a lot of annoyance. The nervous system becomes calmer when it has sufficient potassium.Potassium-rich Brussels sprouts / Source: Eric Hunt, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.5)

Potassium excess and limited kidney function

Potassium is normally excreted by the kidneys. If kidney function is not optimal, too much potassium can enter the blood, which can lead to muscle cramps and heart cramps. Some medications also have the side effect of releasing too much potassium into the blood. People who have limited kidney function are advised to eat less potassium. This can be done by cooking food and eating less raw products and by avoiding potassium-rich foods. Eating no potassium at all is not an option, because it is bad for the heart. Moreover, almost all foods contain some potassium.

Conditions that lead to potassium deficiency

A potassium deficiency does not necessarily have to be the result of eating too little potassium-containing food. It can also be a result of medication use. There are several reasons for a potassium deficiency. In some cases these are related to another disease or condition. Diuretic and laxative medications are a known cause of potassium deficiencies. Insulin injections and some allergy medications have a side effect of potassium deficiency.

Examples of diseases that lead to a potassium deficiency include:

• Kidney problems
• Magnesium deficiency
• Yield
• Diarrhea
• Leukemia
• Alcoholism
• Anorexia
• Bulimia

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