3 ms·

What levels are you talking about? The article published in Nature mentions that the general population does not consume enough of it: > Potassium (K+) is an e

by manmal 5y ago

What levels are you talking about? The article published in Nature mentions that the general population does not consume enough of it: > Potassium (K+) is an extremely important mineral, as supported by National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), and has been designated as a “nutrient of public health concern” due to its general under consumption [3]. In 2004, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine established recommended intake levels of 4700 mg/day of K+ [4]. Despite these recommendations, data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2008 estimated mean intakes in the United States to be 2290 mg/day for women and 3026 mg/day for men, substantially lower than the suggested values [5]. This relative “deficiency” is even more noteworthy when one considers the K+ intake of prehistoric man was estimated to be 15,000 mg/day, which actually exceeds the NHANES recommendations by a factor greater than 4 [6]. Despite studies demonstrating blood pressure lowering effects of increasing K+ intake, the 2019 DRI concluded more evidence is required to support a DRI for K+ [7].

adrian_b 5y ago
For potassium there is normally no need for supplements. It is enough to eat more vegetables. The general population, especially in USA, is likely to eat not enough vegetables, so they may have low potassium because of that. Nevertheless there are old people who may eliminate too easy the potassium from the body. Those at risk to have this are typically old women who have taken during many years medication for high blood pressure. For old men taking medication for high blood pressure, the risks also exist, but they are much lower than for women. Those belonging to this risk group would better have a few times per year a blood test for electrolytes, especially for the sodium and the potassium concentrations in blood. Only when the potassium concentration in blood is found to be low even with a healthy diet rich in vegetables, then potassium supplements are needed. If potassium supplements are taken, chloride is not a good choice, because it provides excess chloride that is not useful. The salt eaten provides enough chloride. Better supplements are based on organic salts of potassium, e.g. lactate or citrate, which provide only potassium without anything else that might have unintended effects. Source: my mother belonged to this risk group. She developed hyponatremia & hypokalemia and it was a very tough job to determine appropriate doses per day of salt and potassium supplements while maintaining the blood pressure at acceptable levels with only small doses of blood pressure medication, as that increased the rate of elimination for sodium & potassium.
- manmal 5y ago
  I think your points are valid, I see them as orthogonal to my comments. Just one remark: If part of the sodium intake is replaced with potassium, then chloride should be fine.
  - adrian_b 5y ago
    While what you say is correct, it is still better to use potassium supplements without chloride, because that gives you the freedom to adjust the sodium and potassium doses independently, without worrying about chloride. The daily requirements for sodium and chloride are strongly correlated, because their main use is to ensure correct concentrations of ions in the extracellular liquids, where sodium and chloride are the most abundant ions and they are used in proportional quantities. The main purpose of potassium is as as a positive ion in the intracellular liquids, needed to compensate the charge of the organic acids and phosphoric acid. Because of that, the quantity of potassium needed by the body is not correlated with the quantity of chloride needed, except weakly and indirectly, due to the normal range of ratios between the quantities of extracellular and intracellular liquids and the similar rates of renal losses.

by manmal 5y ago

adrian_b 5y ago

For potassium there is normally no need for supplements. It is enough to eat more vegetables. The general population, especially in USA, is likely to eat not enough vegetables, so they may have low potassium because of that. Nevertheless there are old people who may eliminate too easy the potassium from the body. Those at risk to have this are typically old women who have taken during many years medication for high blood pressure. For old men taking medication for high blood pressure, the risks also exist, but they are much lower than for women. Those belonging to this risk group would better have a few times per year a blood test for electrolytes, especially for the sodium and the potassium concentrations in blood. Only when the potassium concentration in blood is found to be low even with a healthy diet rich in vegetables, then potassium supplements are needed. If potassium supplements are taken, chloride is not a good choice, because it provides excess chloride that is not useful. The salt eaten provides enough chloride. Better supplements are based on organic salts of potassium, e.g. lactate or citrate, which provide only potassium without anything else that might have unintended effects. Source: my mother belonged to this risk group. She developed hyponatremia & hypokalemia and it was a very tough job to determine appropriate doses per day of salt and potassium supplements while maintaining the blood pressure at acceptable levels with only small doses of blood pressure medication, as that increased the rate of elimination for sodium & potassium.

manmal 5y ago
I think your points are valid, I see them as orthogonal to my comments. Just one remark: If part of the sodium intake is replaced with potassium, then chloride should be fine.
- adrian_b 5y ago
  While what you say is correct, it is still better to use potassium supplements without chloride, because that gives you the freedom to adjust the sodium and potassium doses independently, without worrying about chloride. The daily requirements for sodium and chloride are strongly correlated, because their main use is to ensure correct concentrations of ions in the extracellular liquids, where sodium and chloride are the most abundant ions and they are used in proportional quantities. The main purpose of potassium is as as a positive ion in the intracellular liquids, needed to compensate the charge of the organic acids and phosphoric acid. Because of that, the quantity of potassium needed by the body is not correlated with the quantity of chloride needed, except weakly and indirectly, due to the normal range of ratios between the quantities of extracellular and intracellular liquids and the similar rates of renal losses.