Do you know the amazing role that potassium plays in your body? Potassium is a mineral that helps keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. It can also contribute to the prevention of heart disease and stroke. An electrolyte is a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in water.
Potassium – along with calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphate and chloride – is one of the key electrolytes in the body. Potassium helps your heart beat, and it also aids in the process of building 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.
So, how much potassium do you need?
It is recommended that adults aged between 14 and 70 years consume 4,700mg of potassium each day. There are lots of different food and drinks that can help you achieve this including vegetables, legumes (beans), nuts and seeds, meat, dairy and fruits.
Here are a list of sources which contain moderate to high amounts of potassium
to help your meet your daily potassium needs:
- Banana: 422mg
- All Bran (100%) cereal: ½ cup / 430mg
- Milk or buttermilk (1% milk fat): 1 cup / 390mg
- Plain yoghurt (1% milk fat): ¾ cup / 410mg
- Tinned tomato paste: ¼ cup / 658mg
- Tinned baked beans in tomato sauce: ¾ cup / 552mg
- Cooked lentils: ¾ cup / 540mg
- Baked sweet potato (skin removed): ½ cup / 502mg
- Roasted pumpkin and squash seed kernels: ¼ cup / 454mg
- 2 whole eggs (large): 113mg
- Baked salmon (75g): 379mg
Take home message
This mineral plays a big role in the health of your body, providing yet another reason
to ensure you’re eating a balanced diet.
Reference
Practice TGRfN. High Potassium Eating British Columbia: Province of British
Columbia; 2017 [updated 2013; cited 2017 14/08/2017]
