Advantages, Makes use of, Aspect 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 could additionally assist decrease blood strain.

Individuals could use potassium chloride as a substitute for salt to lower or management their sodium consumption. Improper use could cause unwanted side effects and presumably toxicity.

Your physique wants potassium for kidney, coronary heart, muscle, and mind features. Low or excessive potassium ranges could 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 traditional vary.

Consuming an excessive amount of sodium (salt) could cause hypertension (hypertension), which might improve the chance of coronary heart illness and stroke. Individuals eat greater than 3,300 milligrams of sodium each day, considerably increased than the really helpful restrict of two,300 milligrams.

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

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

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

You may also lower your sodium consumption by studying vitamin information 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 improve the chance of hypertension. Utilizing potassium salt as an alternative of desk salt or sodium could assist decrease sodium consumption, which may assist decrease blood strain.

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

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

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

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 aim of the complement is to extend potassium ranges, whereas chloride helps with electrolyte stability. 

Growing your potassium consumption can assist scale back your danger of coronary heart illness and stroke. Enough potassium consumption ranges are established at 1,600 milligrams for girls and three,400 milligrams for males. Potassium-rich meals embody:

Dried apricots: 755 milligrams (mg) per ½ cup, 16% of the Day by 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 accepted the next types of potassium chloride:

Prolonged-release tabletsExtended-release capsulesInjectablesOral solutionsPowder for oral options

Your healthcare supplier will prescribe a dosage primarily based 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 could 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 when you have a well being situation that may trigger excessive blood potassium ranges, akin to continual kidney illness and adrenal gland problems (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 improve blood potassium ranges could trigger potassium ranges to develop into too excessive. These embody:

Potassium-sparing diuretics: This type of diuretic, or water tablet, decreases the quantity of potassium misplaced by way of urine, which might elevate blood potassium ranges. Examples embody Midamor (amiloride) and Aldactone (spironolactone).  
Antihypertensive medicine: Antihypertensive (blood pressure-lowering) medicine are used to deal with and handle hypertension. The most typical lessons 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 improve blood potassium ranges. Examples embody Lotensin (benazepril) and Cozaar (losartan).

Can You Take Too A lot Potassium Chloride?

It’s potential to take an excessive amount of potassium chloride. The treatment comprises excessive quantities of potassium, and you may exceed protected limits by taking greater than the really helpful dose. At all times observe your healthcare supplier’s dosage suggestions. Consuming an excessive amount of potassium chloride could cause critical unwanted side effects.

Common unwanted side effects of potassium chloride embody:

NauseaVomitingDiarrheaMental confusion

Potassium chloride may also result in problems like gastrointestinal problems, neuromuscular (nerve and muscle system) problems, and sudden cardiac dying.

Totally different types of potassium chloride could have completely different potential unwanted side effects:

Oral potassium chloride options: Gastrointestinal signs akin to vomiting and diarrheaTablets and capsules: Ulcerative lesions within the gastrointestinal tractInjectable options: Issues within the injection space, akin 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, referred to as hypokalemia. It might assist decrease blood strain. Moreover, potassium salts are generally used as an alternative to sodium to decrease general sodium consumption.

Consuming an excessive amount of potassium can result in unwanted side effects like irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal signs, and presumably dying. Potassium chloride is prescribed and brought underneath the steering of a healthcare skilled.

To keep up wholesome potassium ranges, you may eat a balanced weight loss program that features potassium-rich meals, like apricots, lentils, and potatoes. Potassium is important for bone, coronary heart, muscle, kidney, and mind well being.