SweetAdditions

Potassium is a mineral which play a vital role in regulating many body functions. It is found in many foods ingradients. This mineral helps in maintaining normal blood pressure and proper contraction of the heart. In the blood, the correct level of potassium is maintained by potassium. People who suffer from chronic kidney disease or who take certain medicines must limit the amount of potassium in their diet to keep their potassium level close to normal. This article will help you to get all information on potassium including the normal level of potassium, how it is measured in the blood, needs of low potassium diet, benefits of low potassium diet, and list of low potassium foods.

A low potassium diet helps to stop high blood levels of potassium. It is very important to limit potassium rich foods in your daily diet if you have a medical condition that may cause high potassium levels. Muscle weakness, irregular heart beat, and also death can occur when blood potassium levels are too high in the body. Limiting potassium in diet can help to keep blood potassium levels normal.

About Potassium:

• Potassium is found in most foods. Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, peanut butter and milk are very high in potassium.
• The amount of potassium in a food item can now be found on some food labels.
• It keeps the heart beating regularly, helps to maintain fluid balance, and allows the nerves and muscles to work properly.
• You will need to limit your intake of these foods and pay close attention to serving sizes.

Need of a low potassium diet:

The level of potassium in body is normally balanced by eating foods that contain potassium and getting rid of excess potassium in the urine. But, some people who have chronic kidney disease cannot get rid of enough potassium in their urine as their kidneys do not work well. In such person, the level of potassium in the blood can become higher than normal. This condition is known as hyperkalemia. The risk of developing hyperkalemia can be lowered by eating a low potassium diet.

Potassium levels in the blood can increase up to dangerous levels if an individual has kidney problems and this causes irregular heartbeats, confusion or a heart attack. A low potassium diet is suggested to such individuals. Diet which contain less than 2000 mg of potassium per day, called as a “low potassium diet”.

By taking a small sample of blood from a vein, the potassium level is measured in the body. 3.5 to 5 meq/L is a typical normal range for potassium and a level greater than 6 meq/L is considered as dangerous. A low level can also be dangerous for the body.

Benefits of a Low Potassium Diet:

• It helps to maintain normal muscle and heart function.
• It helps to lower the amount of potassium in your blood.

Guidelines of a Low Potassium Diet:

• Check labels for words that include potassium, such as potassium chloride, to avoid potassium hidden in foods.
• Avoid salt substitutes as many of them contain potassium. Salt-free herb blends and spices are acceptable.
• Limit foods that are high in potassium.
• Be sure to cook frozen fruits and vegetables in water; wash and drain well before serving.
• Liquid should be drained from all canned fruits and vegetables and washed before serving.
• Potatoes may be peeled, sliced thin, and soaked in water for at least 4 hours or overnight before washing and cooking. Leafy green vegetables (collards, kale and spinach) should also be soaked for at least 4 hours and washed well before cooking. This helps to considerably lower the amount of potassium in these foods.

Low potassium foods:

1 serving of the following can be believed as Low potassium food and more than 1 serving of the following can make it high potassium food. 1 serving means ½ cup.

General foods:

• Cookies (without nuts or chocolate)
• Noodles
• Pasta
• Bread (bread products)
• Cake – angel, yellow
• Coffee ( maximum 8 ounces)
• Pies (without chocolate or high-potassium foods)
• Rice
• Tea (maximum 16 ounces)

Vegetables:

• Canned Chestnuts
• Carrots (cooked)
• Celery (1 stalk)
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Asparagus – 6 spears
• Beans (wax or green)
• Leached potatoes
• Lettuce
• Cabbage (red and green)
• Mixed vegetables
• Okra
• Onions
• Parsley
• Rhubarb
• Water
• Watercress
• Fresh mushrooms
• Green Peas
• Kale
• Peppers
• Corn (Fresh – ½ ear, Frozen – ½ cup)
• Radish

Fruits:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Apple – 1 medium/juice/sauce
• Peaches – Fresh (1 small), Canned (½ cup)
• Apricots, canned in juice
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Pineapple (juice)
• Fruit cocktail
• Grapes (juice)
• Plums – 1 whole
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Tangerine – 1 whole
• Watermelon – 1 cup
• Pears – Fresh (1 small), Canned (½ cup)
• Grapefruit, ½ whole
• Mandarin oranges

Related posts

• Iron rich foods for toddlers (1)
• Daily Diet for Working Women (3)
• Solutions for Picky Eating (1)
• Health benefits of red grapefruit (1)
• Tropical fruits of asia (0)