Daily potassium supplement

Potassium is a trace element that regulates the acid-base balance in the human body. Many heart patients suffer from potassium deficiency. If the human body lacks potassium, not only will the body feel weak in the limbs, but also symptoms of irregular heartbeat will occur, which is very harmful to the heart. Therefore, people who are deficient in potassium must replenish the potassium content in their bodies in time. So, how much potassium should people take every day?

Potassium can regulate the appropriate osmotic pressure within cells and the acid-base balance of body fluids, and participate in the metabolism of sugar and protein within cells. It helps maintain healthy nerves, regular heartbeat, can prevent strokes, and assists in normal muscle contraction. Potassium has a blood pressure-lowering effect when high sodium intake causes high blood pressure.

Potassium deficiency in the human body can cause irregular and accelerated heartbeat, abnormal electrocardiogram, muscle weakness and irritability, and finally lead to cardiac arrest. Generally speaking, healthy people will automatically excrete excess potassium from the body. However, patients with kidney disease should pay special attention to avoid excessive potassium intake.

The daily intake of potassium for adults is 2000 mg. The minimum daily requirement of potassium for infants and young children is 90 mg. Potassium is abundant in dairy products, fruits, vegetables, lean meat, offal, bananas and raisins.

Fruits high in potassium include:

1. Banana

The types of nutrients contained in bananas are no different from those in other fruits, but the content of some nutrients is somewhat special:

High in sugar: Bananas are particularly high in carbohydrates (sugars). The sugar content in every 100 grams of fruit is about 28.9 grams for bananas, while the sugar content in other fruits such as apples, pears, watermelons, etc. is about 10 grams. The sugars contained in bananas are mostly monosaccharides and disaccharides.

High in potassium: Bananas are also particularly high in potassium. The potassium content per 100 grams of fruit is about 330 mg in bananas, while other fruits are lower, such as about 119 mg in apples, 92 mg in pears, 166 mg in peaches, 104 mg in grapes, and 87 mg in watermelon.

2. Longan

Among fruits, longan is a high-calorie food, with high carbohydrate and potassium content, and its vitamin C content is comparable to that of oranges.

Longan contains a variety of nutrients, and has the effects of replenishing blood and calming the nerves, strengthening the brain and improving intelligence, and nourishing the heart and spleen; longan has an inhibition rate of more than 90% on uterine cancer cells. Menopause is a stage when gynecological tumors are prone to occur in women, and eating some longan appropriately is good for health; longan has a tonic effect, and has auxiliary therapeutic effects on people who need recuperation after illness and those with weak constitutions.

3. Mango

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, mango tastes sweet and slightly sour, and has the effects of promoting salivation and quenching thirst, promoting diuresis, and stopping vomiting. It can be said to be one of the most natural remedies for motion sickness. From the perspective of modern nutrition, mango is rich in vitamins A, C, carotene, potassium, crude fiber, etc. The vitamin A content is one of the highest among all fruits, and the vitamin C content is twice that of bananas and pineapples. Vitamins A and C are both important antioxidant nutrients.

Foods with low potassium content: Common foods with potassium content below 150 mg per 100 grams include pumpkin, zucchini, winter melon, eggplant, grapes, apples, sand apples, duck pears, Beijing white pears, red Xiao pears, pineapples, etc.

High potassium fruit list:

Potassium content of fruit (mg/100g)

Dried longan 1300, red dates 597, durian 420, sugar apple 390, peach 300, banana 290, kiwi 290, mulberry 271, longan 260, plum 240