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December 9, 2024

Potassium Supports Your Heart and Mind

Potassium is a major mineral and an essential nutrient for humans. Higher intakes are associated with better endothelial function and lower blood pressure. However, potassium intake often falls short when needs are increased or decreased due to reduced availability in the soil, consumption of highly processed foods, and inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables, and other potassium sources.

Conversely, the Mediterranean diet contains a significant number of high-potassium foods and is associated with improved endothelial function and reduced cardiovascular risk.

The optimal potassium intake for reducing blood pressure and stroke risk is 3,500 – 4,680 mg (90-120 mmol) daily, and the World Health Organization recommends a target of at least 3,500 mg/day for adults.

A high-potassium intake:

Suppresses reactive oxygen species
Supports healthy blood vessels
Increases nitric oxide, which supports blood vessel function
Significantly improves blood flow
Reduces atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease risk.
Potassium intake may need to be restricted in those with reduced renal function and inadequate potassium excretion.
High-potassium foods include: dried apricots, prunes, raisins, lentils, kidney beans, soybeans, acorn squash, and baked potatoes.

Source: Serra-Majem, Lluís et al. “Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards Sustainability: Focus on Environmental Concerns.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 17,23 8758. 25 Nov. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijerph17238758 This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license

Optimal Takeaways

A high potassium intake is associated with better endothelial function, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of CVD and stroke.
The World Health Organization recommends an intake of at least 3,500 mg/day.
The Mediterranean contains an optimal amount of potassium and is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk.
Baking instead of boiling helps hold potassium in the food.

Reference

D'Elia, Lanfranco et al. “Effect of Potassium Supplementation on Endothelial Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies.” Nutrients vol. 15,4 853. 8 Feb. 2023, doi:10.3390/nu15040853 This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).