6 Situations Potassium Can Assist Handle Naturally

Potassium is a vital mineral current in dietary supplements and a few meals, together with spinach, potatoes, and bananas. The physique requires potassium for a number of features, together with heartbeat regulation, muscle contraction, and nerve signaling. Potassium can also be an efficient pure remedy for some situations. 

Potassium helps regulate blood stress as a result of it impacts fluid stability within the physique.

Blood stress is the pressure of your blood on the partitions of your blood vessels. Hypertension (hypertension) raises the danger of significant well being situations, together with coronary heart assault and stroke. For adults, a wholesome blood stress studying is beneath 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). 

Potassium helps to manage sodium ranges in your blood. Sodium pulls extra fluid into your blood vessels, rising blood stress. By reducing sodium ranges, potassium reduces blood stress.

Potassium can also calm down the partitions of the blood vessels, which lowers blood stress.

Hypertension additionally will increase the danger of stroke. Decreasing blood stress with potassium might assist scale back the danger of stroke. A stroke happens when one thing interrupts blood circulation to your mind, and it is a medical emergency. 

A 2016 evaluate discovered that rising your potassium consumption may decrease your stroke danger by as a lot as 13%. Decreasing blood stress with a potassium-rich weight loss plan has been discovered to cut back the danger of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke. 

Osteoporosis is a standard persistent well being situation that causes weak, brittle bones and raises the danger of fractures. Potassium might decrease the danger of osteoporosis by strengthening your bones. 

Potassium helps your bones protect their density, which can assist forestall bone loss. It’s because potassium neutralizes acids that may contribute to bone loss. A 2020 research discovered that consuming a high-potassium weight loss plan might decrease the danger of osteoporosis in individuals who have gone by means of menopause. 

Consuming a high-potassium weight loss plan might decrease the danger of kidney stones. Kidney stones are arduous deposits that may kind within the kidneys. They’re normally made up of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, or uric acid. When a kidney stone passes by means of your urinary tract, it may well get caught and trigger extreme ache.

Diets excessive in potassium are related to a diminished danger of kidney stones. Potassium makes your urine much less acidic, which helps forestall calcium deposits from forming. 

A 2016 medical trial discovered that folks with larger blood potassium ranges had a decrease danger of excessive blood sugar and diabetes. A 2015 research of older adults discovered that folks with decrease blood potassium ranges had decrease insulin sensitivity.

Consuming extra potassium might scale back arthritis ache. Arthritis refers to swelling within the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a persistent autoimmune situation that causes joint injury, swelling, and ache.

A 2024 research discovered that individuals who ate a potassium-rich vegetarian weight loss plan skilled fewer arthritis signs and fewer ache than those that did not. Potassium might scale back irritation, which may enhance arthritis signs.

Potassium is crucial for a number of important features within the physique. However consuming an excessive amount of of it, equivalent to by means of dietary supplements, might be harmful and result in critical well being issues. It is doable to get sufficient potassium out of your weight loss plan with out taking a complement.

Facet Results

Potassium dietary supplements might trigger gentle unwanted effects, together with:

Diarrhea Bloating and gasNausea and vomitingStomach ache 

Hardly ever, potassium dietary supplements could cause dangerously excessive potassium ranges (hyperkalemia), which can trigger:

AnxietyConfusionFatigue Chilly, grey skinBlack stools Kidney failure Numbness and tinglingMuscle weak spot

Speak with a health care provider earlier than starting a each day potassium complement routine, particularly when you have kidney illness, liver illness, or diabetes. 

Interactions

Use warning with potassium dietary supplements in case you are at present taking any of the next drugs: 

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: ACE inhibitors like Lotensin (benazepril) scale back the quantity of potassium you excrete by means of your urine. This could result in a potassium buildup in your blood.Potassium-sparing diuretics: Diuretics like Midamor (amiloride) and Aldactone (spironolactone) scale back potassium excretion and lift the danger of hyperkalemia. Loop diuretics: Diuretics equivalent to Lasix (furosemide) improve potassium excretion, elevating the danger of hypokalemia.