From the Guidelines
Foods high in potassium include bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, spinach, beans, and yogurt, and for optimal potassium intake, aim for 3,500-4,700 mg daily by incorporating these foods regularly into your meals. Potassium is essential for proper muscle function, nerve signaling, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, as it works by balancing sodium levels in your body and supporting proper fluid balance 1. When consuming high-potassium foods, it's best to eat them fresh rather than processed, as processing can reduce potassium content. Some key points to consider when evaluating potassium intake include:
- The World Health Organization recommends a potassium intake of at least 90 mmol (3510 mg) per day from food for adult patients 1
- Good sources of dietary potassium include fruits and vegetables, as well as low-fat dairy products, selected fish and meats, nuts, and soy products 1
- Four to five servings of fruits and vegetables will usually provide 1500 to >3000 mg of potassium, which can be achieved by a diet such as the DASH diet that is high in potassium content 1
- If you have kidney disease, heart conditions, or take certain medications like ACE inhibitors or potassium-sparing diuretics, consult your healthcare provider before significantly increasing potassium intake, as too much can be dangerous for some people 1. Some of the key foods that are high in potassium include:
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Beans
- Yogurt
- Oranges
- Tomatoes
- Salmon
- Nuts like almonds It's also important to note that the nutrition facts panel on food labels is not required to list potassium, but may provide potassium content as actual amount (mg) and % DV, and foods containing less than 100 mg or less than 3% DV are considered low in potassium, while foods containing 200 to 250 mg or greater than 6% DV are considered high in potassium 1.
From the Research
Foods High in Potassium
Foods high in potassium are essential for maintaining a healthy balance of this mineral in the body. According to various studies, increasing dietary potassium intake can have several benefits, including:
- Lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease 2, 3
- Relieving the deleterious effects of a low potassium diet, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis 2
- Improving kidney function and reducing the risk of kidney disease 3, 4
Benefits of High Potassium Intake
Some of the key benefits of a high potassium intake include:
- Lower blood pressure: Studies have shown that a higher urinary potassium excretion is associated with lower blood pressure and lower cardiovascular risk 2, 3
- Improved kidney function: Increasing dietary potassium intake can exert blood pressure-independent effects on the kidney, relieving the deleterious effects of a low potassium diet 2
- Reduced risk of kidney disease: Low urinary potassium excretion is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for the progression of kidney disease 4
Foods Rich in Potassium
Some examples of foods rich in potassium include:
- Fruits: bananas, avocados, apricots, and citrus fruits
- Vegetables: leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, and root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and carrots
- Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread
- Legumes: white beans, lentils, and chickpeas
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds
Importance of Balanced Potassium Intake
It is essential to maintain a balanced potassium intake, as both low and high levels of potassium can have negative effects on the body. According to one study, a higher dietary intake of potassium did not lower 24-hour systolic blood pressure in adults with chronic kidney disease, while another study found that lower dietary potassium scaled to energy intake was associated with higher mortality, irrespective of kidney function 5, 3