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A diet that is rich in potassium is important for you to look and feel your best. But many people do not understand why potassium plays an important role in your health.
Potassium is actually the third most abundant mineral in your body, according to Healthline. About 98 percent of the potassium in your body is in your cells, while the remaining 20 percent is located in your liver, red blood cells, and bones.
While potassium is found in an abundance of foods including: bananas, avocados, dried fruits, beans, and potatoes. You can get all of your daily requirement – 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women – just by eating a healthy well-balanced diet, stressed MedicalNewsToday. Here are five powerful health benefits of potassium:
An important electrolyte
Your body is made up of 60 percent water, according to Healthline, and 40 percent is stored in your cells and contained in a substance called intracellular fluid (ICF). The rest is found outside your cells and is contained in your blood, spinal cord fluid, as well as in between cells in extracellular fluid (ECF).
Potassium acts as an electrolyte (a substance that help you keep fluid in your body) and is the main one in the ICF. The amount of electrolytes relative to the fluids should be in equal balance. When it is out of balance damage can occur at the cellular level. That’s why it is important to replenish electrolytes when you sweat or have diarrhea, stressed The Cleveland Clinic.
Helps your nervous system function
Your nervous system relays messages in the form of nerve impulses between your brain and your body, according to Healthline. This is how your body regulates your heartbeat, muscles, reflexes, and more. Nerve impulses are actually generated by an exchange of ions in our cells; sodium ions moving in and potassium ions moving out. You need adequate potassium levels to maintain healthy nerve function.
Promotes heart health
The relationship between sodium and potassium also effects your blood pressure. Eating foods that contain a lot of sodium increases your blood pressure and eating potassium-rich foods can help to decrease it, according to the American Heart Association (To help prevent hypertension, the organization recommends that you eat a low-salt diet and up your intake of potassium.
Could prevent strokes
A stroke occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to the brain and it is a leading cause of death in the US. According to The Center for Disease Control (CDC), one-in-six deaths from cardiovascular disease is due to a stroke. That’s because high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are all stroke risks. But eating a diet rich in potassium could help prevent strokes. An analysis of 11 studies found that people who consumed the most potassium had a 21 percent lower risk of strokes.
Promotes kidney health
Low potassium levels could inhibit your kidney’s ability to reabsorb calcium and high calcium levels in your kidneys can lead to kidney stones (clumps of calcium in your urine), stressed Healthline. Adequate levels of potassium citrate can help combat kidney stones. However, people who have advanced kidney disease and are on dialysis need to restrict the amount of potassium in their diet.
Since potassium regulates how much calcium is lost through urine, a diet rich in this important mineral could also help prevent osteoporosis, a condition that leads to hollow and porous bones. More potassium leads to more bone mass.
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