Not Enough Potassium

messtafarian

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I've been watching my nutrition values on cronometer for about a week, and I am just not getting enough potassium. No matter what I do -even when I supplement A LOT I am undereating potassium. Part of this I think is because I don't drink enough OJ, but if I drink milk and OJ and coffee all in one day everything in my lower bowel turns to liquid. I'm hoping this resolves over time -- even drinking Lactaid doesn't quite solve it.

So in the meantime, it is just not enough potassium. I think this is why my blood pressure needs such careful watching. I can bring it down with an aspirin and some OJ within an hour it seems but this is because I am lacking the potassium and salicylates my arteries need: obviously.

Six 99 mg potassium pills give me ten percent of RDA for potassium. It's not enough!
 

juanitacarlos

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Yes I get most of my potassium from milk and OJ. But if I ever need a little more, I will take a few teaspoons of cream of tartar (throughout the day). It's very cheap and contains a fair bit of potassium. You can mix it in your OJ, or just in some water and skull it.
 

Mittir

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I do not drink a lot of OJ. I get my potassium from Milk, instant Coffee, Potato, fruits,
1 Quart Milk 1400 mg
1 oz instant coffee powder 1000 mg
100 grams of boiled potato 380 mg
(boiled those with skin on and then remove the skin ,cut it like french fries and fried in butter or coconut oil)
1 cup OJ 500 mg
100 grams Guava 400 mg

Milk,Coffee, potato, guava, OJ are good source of magnesium.
If starch in potato bothers you, then you can make potassium broth
using thinly sliced potato. This will leach more than 50 percent of potassium and magnesium into the water.
You also can try cooked potato juice.

I put a lot of instant coffee in the milk and it gives a big boost in the magnesium and potassium content.
RP has said that both magnesium and potassium help body with processing sugar and keeping insulin and
blood sugar in check. Most fruits comes with good amount of sugar, potassium and magnesium and that make it an ideal food.
 
OP
M

messtafarian

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Hm. Thanks Mittir. I never thought about instant coffee as a potassium source. Actually I never thought about regular coffee as a potassium source :)

I'm researching cream of tartar. Do people tend to stomach issues with cream of tartar? I know people put it in OJ which I probably can't do. Would there be extremely unpleasant consequences to just putting a teaspoon in a shotglass of water and chugging it?
 

Jenn

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I have eaten it plain, powder. I do not have a problem eating acidic foods.

I should clarify, I have eaten it plain, then eaten other food in the same meal. i just didn't like the taste of it in the food.
 

fyo

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There's a salt substitute called 'lo-salt', 66% potassium 33% sodium, no additives stated.
 

Amazoniac

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I wonder why websites never mention coconut water as an excellent source of potassium. Perhaps because is not a food..
I would consider it, especially because it lacks the starch, that many people here prefer to avoid, and is relatively low in sodium, which is easier to have in excess.
 

Jib

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I use bulk potassium citrate.

1 teaspoon of powder will give you about 2.4 grams, roughly half of the RDA.

Potassium Deficiency Scam Kills and Maims Millions

I remember finding that a while ago. Don't agree with everything he says (I use salt liberally and don't agree that salt is 'toxic'), but it's an interesting read.

Potassium is required above all other minerals in terms of needed grams per day. That's pretty significant. When I realized that I decided to start supplementing with potassium citrate (that and it was recommended to me when I tried a hair mineral analysis program).

**NOTE**

I find powder dissolved in a drink works MUCH better than capsules. The capsules (which I would make myself), whether from potassium citrate or potassium chloride, felt like they were burning my stomach lining.

When you dissolve the potassium into a beverage, it dilutes it so this doesn't happen.
 

schultz

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I wonder why websites never mention coconut water as an excellent source of potassium. Perhaps because is not a food..
I would consider it, especially because it lacks the starch, that many people here prefer to avoid, and is relatively low in sodium, which is easier to have in excess.

Yah coconut water is amazing for potassium. Also has a lot of magnesium. I find it odd that more people don't mention it around here.

1L coconut water gives:::
2.4g of potassium
67% sodium
60% manganese
60% magnesium
43% copper
42% B2
24% B6
24% B1

It even has a 1.2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus with 230mg of calcium, 0g of PUFA and 7g of protein.


I can get 100% potassium, magnesium and calcium from 2 latte's and a litre of coconut water and only 800 calories (200 of which is white sugar). I see no reason to supplement these things. Spend money on food.
 
D

Derek

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Yah coconut water is amazing for potassium. Also has a lot of magnesium. I find it odd that more people don't mention it around here.

1L coconut water gives:::
2.4g of potassium
67% sodium
60% manganese
60% magnesium
43% copper
42% B2
24% B6
24% B1

It even has a 1.2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus with 230mg of calcium, 0g of PUFA and 7g of protein.


I can get 100% potassium, magnesium and calcium from 2 latte's and a litre of coconut water and only 800 calories (200 of which is white sugar). I see no reason to supplement these things. Spend money on food.

Coconut water is pretty allergenic, not to mention that for most people, consuming coffee and 1L of coconut water will have them in the bathroom all day. Potatoes and cooked vegetables with salt seems much more practical to me.
 

schultz

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Coconut water is pretty allergenic, not to mention that for most people, consuming coffee and 1L of coconut water will have them in the bathroom all day. Potatoes and cooked vegetables with salt seems much more practical to me.

I don't seem to have a problem with the coconut water in regards to allergies. Maybe if it has added ascorbic acid, but I avoid those ones.

For myself, cooking vegetables is impractical. Taking a minute or two to make a latte or grabbing a container of milk/OJ/coconut water is my idea of practical.

I definitely understand where you're coming from though :chicken:
 
D

Derek

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I don't seem to have a problem with the coconut water in regards to allergies. Maybe if it has added ascorbic acid, but I avoid those ones.

For myself, cooking vegetables is impractical. Taking a minute or two to make a latte or grabbing a container of milk/OJ/coconut water is my idea of practical.

I definitely understand where you're coming from though :chicken:

All that matters is what works for you. My point was that if you took 10 random people they would pretty much all be able to tolerate well cooked potatoes, butter, cooked vegetables and salt. You wouldn't have the same success rate with coffee and coconut water. I meant practical from a tolerance perspective, not from a convenience one.

I agree with you on preparation. That's why when I eat gelatin, I eat pork rinds; as opposed to making my own homemade broth.
 

tara

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not to mention that for most people, consuming coffee and 1L of coconut water will have them in the bathroom all day.
I'd expect to be suffering dehydration if 2 lattes and 1l coconut water was all I was drinking in a day.
 

schultz

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All that matters is what works for you. My point was that if you took 10 random people they would pretty much all be able to tolerate well cooked potatoes, butter, cooked vegetables and salt. You wouldn't have the same success rate with coffee and coconut water. I meant practical from a tolerance perspective, not from a convenience one.

I agree with you on preparation. That's why when I eat gelatin, I eat pork rinds; as opposed to making my own homemade broth.

Oh, okay, I sort took it originally as convenience. You make an excellent point and I totally agree!
 

Amazoniac

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Molecule of the Month: A pinch of salt is a matter of life and death:
"A large dose of several grams of potassium chloride will paralyse the central nervous system, cause convulsions, diarrhoea, kidney failure and rapid death from heart failure. But what Dr Cox did illegally in Britain is done legally in the United States - as a method of capital punishment. Condemned people who agree to donate their organs for transplants may be executed by 'non-toxic lethal injection' of potassium chloride. Unlike poison gas or the electric chair, it leaves all organs intact."
 

Amazoniac

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Life-Threatening Hyperkalemia from Cream of Tartar Ingestion
"Based on its formula (C4H5KO6), cream of tartar is 20% potassium. A consumer bottle of cream of tartar usually contains about 28 g/oz; therefore, six tablespoons would be 3 oz or 84 g, of which 16.8 g (430 mmol) is potassium."

I have no idea how safe it is. I'm just sharing in case someone's interested.
 

SaltGirl

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Cream of Tartar was used in medicine for quite some time. It is now used by alternative health to lower blood pressure, stopping smoking, and more.
 

David PS

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I mix potassium bicarbonate powder into my coffee. It doesn't mix too well but I have grown accustomed to the taste.
 

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