Advantages, Makes use of, Facet Results, Extra

Potassium chloride, or potassium salt, consists of the minerals potassium and chloride. It is used to deal with hypokalemia, a situation of low blood potassium ranges. It may additionally assist decrease blood stress.

Individuals might use potassium chloride as an alternative choice to salt to lower or management their sodium consumption. Improper use may cause unintended effects and probably toxicity.

Your physique wants potassium for kidney, coronary heart, muscle, and mind capabilities. Low or excessive potassium ranges may cause extreme well being circumstances, together with muscle weak point, irregular heartbeat, and, in extreme instances, cardiac arrest.

Potassium chloride is especially used to deal with and handle low blood potassium ranges. It may be given orally (by mouth) or intravenously (by way of injections into the blood) to convey potassium ranges to the conventional vary.

Consuming an excessive amount of sodium (salt) may cause hypertension (hypertension), which may enhance the danger of coronary heart illness and stroke. People eat greater than 3,300 milligrams of sodium day by day, considerably larger than the really helpful restrict of two,300 milligrams.

Excessive sodium consumption typically comes from processed and quick meals. To assist decrease consumption, many meals producers use potassium salts, together with potassium chloride, to exchange some sodium and enhance the potassium content material of their meals merchandise.

There are numerous types of potassium salts containing totally different quantities of potassium, as much as 2,800 milligrams.

Consuming salt substitutes with excessive potassium can increase your danger of hyperkalemia (excessive blood potassium ranges). In case you have continual circumstances, together with kidney illness, you need to seek the advice of your healthcare supplier earlier than utilizing potassium salts.

You may also lower your sodium consumption by studying vitamin details labels. Meals labeled as low sodium ought to comprise lower than 140 milligrams per serving, whereas very low sodium meals ought to comprise lower than 35 milligrams per serving.

Each excessive sodium and low potassium consumption can enhance the danger of hypertension. Utilizing potassium salt as a substitute of desk salt or sodium might assist decrease sodium consumption, which may assist decrease blood stress.

A analysis assessment discovered that potassium supplementation can lower each systolic (high quantity) and diastolic (backside quantity) blood stress in people with hypertension. This was very true if they’d excessive sodium and low potassium consumption and weren’t utilizing blood-pressure-lowering drugs.

The results of potassium on blood stress are unclear relating to who may gain advantage from it and what dosages are efficient and protected.

Potassium chloride is utilized in meals merchandise to imitate the style that sodium gives whereas protecting the sodium content material of meals low. Some meals that will comprise potassium chloride embrace:

Cereals
Potato chips
Baked items
Frozen or ready-made meals
Meat merchandise
Cheese
Soup
Sauces
Sports activities drinks
Snack bars

Potassium chloride consists of excessive quantities of potassium and chloride. The principle objective of the complement is to extend potassium ranges, whereas chloride helps with electrolyte steadiness. 

Rising your potassium consumption will help cut back your danger of coronary heart illness and stroke. Sufficient potassium consumption ranges are established at 1,600 milligrams for ladies and three,400 milligrams for males. Potassium-rich meals embrace:

Dried apricots: 755 milligrams (mg) per ½ cup, 16% of the Every day Worth (DV)Lentils: 731 mg per 1 cup cooked, 16% of the DVPotato: 610 mg per 1 medium baked, 13% of the DVKidney beans: 607 mg per 1 cup canned, 13% of the DVOrange juice: 496 mg per 1 cup, 11% of the DV

You want a prescription for potassium chloride, which is offered in pill, capsule, powder, and injectable kind. The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the next types of potassium chloride:

Prolonged-release tabletsExtended-release capsulesInjectablesOral solutionsPowder for oral options

Your healthcare supplier will prescribe a dosage based mostly in your well being circumstances and blood potassium ranges.

An excessive amount of potassium chloride causes hyperkalemia, or excessive blood potassium ranges. Excessive blood potassium ranges may cause cardiac arrhythmia, which is when your coronary heart beats irregularly and is simply too gradual or too quick.

You should not take potassium chloride if in case you have a well being situation that may trigger excessive blood potassium ranges, corresponding to continual kidney illness and adrenal gland issues (like Addison’s illness and Cushing’s syndrome), until your healthcare supplier recommends in any other case.

Potential Drug Interactions

Taking potassium chloride with different dietary supplements or medicine that enhance blood potassium ranges might trigger potassium ranges to develop into too excessive. These embrace:

Potassium-sparing diuretics: This type of diuretic, or water capsule, decreases the quantity of potassium misplaced by way of urine, which may increase blood potassium ranges. Examples embrace Midamor (amiloride) and Aldactone (spironolactone).  
Antihypertensive medicine: Antihypertensive (blood pressure-lowering) medicine are used to deal with and handle hypertension. The most typical courses of antihypertensive medicine are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These medicine additionally deal with coronary heart failure and kidney illness. They enhance blood potassium ranges. Examples embrace Lotensin (benazepril) and Cozaar (losartan).

Can You Take Too A lot Potassium Chloride?

It’s attainable to take an excessive amount of potassium chloride. The medicine accommodates excessive quantities of potassium, and you’ll exceed protected limits by taking greater than the really helpful dose. All the time comply with your healthcare supplier’s dosage suggestions. Consuming an excessive amount of potassium chloride may cause critical unintended effects.

Normal unintended effects of potassium chloride embrace:

NauseaVomitingDiarrheaMental confusion

Potassium chloride can even result in problems like gastrointestinal issues, neuromuscular (nerve and muscle system) issues, and sudden cardiac dying.

Completely different types of potassium chloride might have totally different potential unintended effects:

Oral potassium chloride options: Gastrointestinal signs corresponding to vomiting and diarrheaTablets and capsules: Ulcerative lesions within the gastrointestinal tractInjectable options: Issues within the injection space, corresponding to pores and skin redness, ache, swelling, irritation of the vein, and blood clots

Potassium chloride is a two-mineral compound used to deal with and handle low blood potassium ranges, generally known as hypokalemia. It might assist decrease blood stress. Moreover, potassium salts are generally used as an alternative to sodium to decrease total sodium consumption.

Consuming an excessive amount of potassium can result in unintended effects like irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal signs, and probably dying. Potassium chloride is prescribed and brought below the steerage of a healthcare skilled.

To keep up wholesome potassium ranges, you’ll be able to eat a balanced food plan that features potassium-rich meals, like apricots, lentils, and potatoes. Potassium is crucial for bone, coronary heart, muscle, kidney, and mind well being.