Your Thoughts On Potassium?

Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,817
Hey,

What has been everyone's experience with potassium? As in, do you notice you need to hit the 4700mg a day, or it doesn't matter, or have you noticed effects without hitting it?

I've heard from people it's difficult to be low in potassium. Even when I get bloodwork, I see my potassium is usually always right in the middle. I think because your body excretes it if it gets too high, or it holds onto it if your intake goes down?

However, I've noticed that my lips will turn a deeper shade of red if I get a lot of potassium, and if I don't for a few days, they go back to lighter shade of red. I think it effects my overall looks as well, like my skin will be more dry if I don't.

I've had to opt for coconut water due to endotoxin? issues with potatoes/milk, but it is just interesting. There is the 4700mg need per day that is there, so I guess you do need that amount per day overall anyway, but always never sure on it.

thoughts?
 

fradon

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Messages
605
i think it all depends on diet and how much sodium you eat. the more sodium the more potassium you will need to balance it out. too much potassium when you don't need it can cause problems with muscles spasms and thyroid. one word of caution with potassium is that it opens up the cell to recieve what ever you ingest so becareful what you eat with the potassium.
 

michael94

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2015
Messages
2,419
you can try cream of tartar as a potassium supplement

goes well with salty water or any sort of broth
 

InChristAlone

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
5,955
Location
USA
i think it all depends on diet and how much sodium you eat. the more sodium the more potassium you will need to balance it out. too much potassium when you don't need it can cause problems with muscles spasms and thyroid. one word of caution with potassium is that it opens up the cell to recieve what ever you ingest so becareful what you eat with the potassium.
Where did you read that about potassium opening up the cell to what you ingest?
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
988
There was a while where I made a point of supplementing with potassium citrate daily, I would take the equiv of 2 grams potassium in the morning, and 2 grams at night. I was virtually living off of pizza, I was rarely eating fruit or vegetables so it made sense to me at the time. Looking back though I think I overdid it, I was working a very physical job and all I ever really noticed from it was that my feet were a little less achy. When I started trying to get my body temperature up at the start of this year, I was still sometimes taking 2 grams in the morning - it became very obvious early on that it was dropping my body temperature so I stopped. I now supplement 2 grams potassium just at night, because I still feel a little less achy when I take it. I probably get around 6 grams sodium (~2 tsp salt) and 5 grams potassium a day, and to me that feels right. When I go over that I just have a harder time staying warm and notice no other real advantage.

I've also always wondered, why do we crave salt so much but not potassium. Sure I like fruit if it is sweet, and vegetables if it is salty, I don't think to myself mmmm potassium.
 

Vinero

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Messages
1,551
Age
32
Location
Netherlands
Almost all foods contain some potassium like milk, potatoes, chocolate, fruit etc.
I never pay any attention to it. As long as you don't get all of your calories from white rice and refined sugar you will get enough.
 

yerrag

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
10,883
Location
Manila
I go with the 4700 mg requirement, but it's not difficult to do but not effortless either. I figure I get 1500 mg from the meat in my meals, and then with 2 fruit juice cups 1000mg, 3 medium bananas 1500mg. With sweet potatoes, I get around 500 mg, and then I get some KCl and I'm in.

But I've read about potassium intake being excreted out if the body stores of magnesium is deficient. And that it takes as long as 6 months to build back stores of magnesium when deficient. I found it impractical to get a good magnesium test (if available it's just too expensive) so I had to think through what are my chances that I'm deficient. I thought about the food I've eaten in my lifetime, and realize they're not helping prevent any magnesium deficiency. And I can imagine if you do the same you'll realize the same thing. Eff the test. Besides, if your intake of magnesium is excessive, you will have diarrhea anyway. So, I'm already starting my 6th month on magnesium chloride of 4.8g/day, a therapeutic dose. And I feel day by day the arthritic pain on my left knee receding. I also don't experience cramps anymoe when asleep, and my trigger finger (arthritic) condition doesn't show up when I wake up. So, yes, potassium is needed, but together with magnesium not being deficient. Not knowing the need for magnesium to be sufficient is a deal breaker. I had given up on taking potassium, as it never seemed to work. My cramps don't go away, and yes, my blood pressure doesn't even come down. Not anymore though. But I'll go from a therapeutic dose of magnesium to a maintenance dose once the 6 month period is over.
 

Dotdash

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
136
I've never reached the 4700mg daily of potassium but bloodwork always shows a normal range. I've often wondered what kind of difference or benefits one would feel if ingesting that amount. Your experience @mayweatherking with increased lip coloration and less dryness correlates with a comment on RP Inspired of a person experiencing less cuticle dryness and hangnails with increased potassium. My own experience with supplementing 1500mg per day wasn't so good. Muscle cramps intensified horribly. End of experiment. The tablets were given to my Mom because of being on a diuretic but she only took a few of them. Salt, magnesium, and calcium intakes were sufficient so I don't know what intensified the muscle cramping.
 

sweetpeat

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
917
But I'll go from a therapeutic dose of magnesium to a maintenance dose once the 6 month period is over.
I agree about magnesium deficiency being the culprit behind other deficiencies/issues. What do you consider a maintenance dose of magnesium?
 

SOMO

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
1,094
I used to drink coconut water daily and was still hospitalized for dehydration (low-sodium, not low-potassium) many times when going out to drink with friends . Coconut Water has sodium in it, so I'm surprised I was hospitalized for dehydration, because I also read that CW is used in 3rd world countries in place of IV Saline solution for rehydration.

I wonder if the Potassium can increase Sodium excretion in the absence of kidney issues.
 

yerrag

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
10,883
Location
Manila
I agree about magnesium deficiency being the culprit behind other deficiencies/issues. What do you consider a maintenance dose of magnesium?

400mg elemental magnesium is my daily maintenance dose, which is a quarter of my daily 1600mg dose of calcium. This is consistent with Peat's thoughts on it. And your thyroid has to be right, else calcium gets inside cells and calcify, as per haidut.
 
OP
mayweatherking
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,817
Almost all foods contain some potassium like milk, potatoes, chocolate, fruit etc.
I never pay any attention to it. As long as you don't get all of your calories from white rice and refined sugar you will get enough.

everytime i try to enter it in cronometer, i never reach the full amount. only if i had a ton of milk would be the only way to get it. orange juice would account for maybe half of it or less. i always thought this too until i started tracking it on cronometer

I go with the 4700 mg requirement, but it's not difficult to do but not effortless either. I figure I get 1500 mg from the meat in my meals, and then with 2 fruit juice cups 1000mg, 3 medium bananas 1500mg. With sweet potatoes, I get around 500 mg, and then I get some KCl and I'm in.

But I've read about potassium intake being excreted out if the body stores of magnesium is deficient. And that it takes as long as 6 months to build back stores of magnesium when deficient. I found it impractical to get a good magnesium test (if available it's just too expensive) so I had to think through what are my chances that I'm deficient. I thought about the food I've eaten in my lifetime, and realize they're not helping prevent any magnesium deficiency. And I can imagine if you do the same you'll realize the same thing. Eff the test. Besides, if your intake of magnesium is excessive, you will have diarrhea anyway. So, I'm already starting my 6th month on magnesium chloride of 4.8g/day, a therapeutic dose. And I feel day by day the arthritic pain on my left knee receding. I also don't experience cramps anymoe when asleep, and my trigger finger (arthritic) condition doesn't show up when I wake up. So, yes, potassium is needed, but together with magnesium not being deficient. Not knowing the need for magnesium to be sufficient is a deal breaker. I had given up on taking potassium, as it never seemed to work. My cramps don't go away, and yes, my blood pressure doesn't even come down. Not anymore though. But I'll go from a therapeutic dose of magnesium to a maintenance dose once the 6 month period is over.

my potassium blood work always shows it in the middle and i am usually constipated, i always thought that showed magnesium wasn't sufficient, i dont know though

I've never reached the 4700mg daily of potassium but bloodwork always shows a normal range. I've often wondered what kind of difference or benefits one would feel if ingesting that amount. Your experience @mayweatherking with increased lip coloration and less dryness correlates with a comment on RP Inspired of a person experiencing less cuticle dryness and hangnails with increased potassium. My own experience with supplementing 1500mg per day wasn't so good. Muscle cramps intensified horribly. End of experiment. The tablets were given to my Mom because of being on a diuretic but she only took a few of them. Salt, magnesium, and calcium intakes were sufficient so I don't know what intensified the muscle cramping.

i see.. i never supplemented with it though, i just drank increased coconut water, harmless harvest is the brand.
 

Dotdash

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
136
everytime i try to enter it in cronometer, i never reach the full amount. only if i had a ton of milk would be the only way to get it. orange juice would account for maybe half of it or less. i always thought this too until i started tracking it on cronometer
my potassium blood work always shows it in the middle and i am usually constipated, i always thought that showed magnesium wasn't sufficient, i dont know though.

I'm thinking potassium has as much to do with constipation as magnesium. I'm remembering something Josh Rubin said about giving his son bananas in an attempt to increase the potassium due to constipation.
 

yerrag

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
10,883
Location
Manila
I used to drink coconut water daily and was still hospitalized for dehydration (low-sodium, not low-potassium) many times when going out to drink with friends . Coconut Water has sodium in it, so I'm surprised I was hospitalized for dehydration, because I also read that CW is used in 3rd world countries in place of IV Saline solution for rehydration.

I wonder if the Potassium can increase Sodium excretion in the absence of kidney issues.
You're fine drinking coconut water. It won't cause you to dehydrate. Nor will potassium can sodium to be excreted. Was your sodium below range or on the low side of range? If below range, that would be hyponaetremia or low sodium, which would make you faint and hospitalized. But the body will try to excrete water thru the urine in an attempt to get your sodium back to the right concentration. In the process, you will lose enough water to get you considered dehydrated.

my potassium blood work always shows it in the middle and i am usually constipated, i always thought that showed magnesium wasn't sufficient, i dont know though
I was thinking the other day about peristalsis, which controls bowel movement naturally. If magnesium is deficient, it may affect peristalsis, as it requires energy. If you're magnesium-deficient, you are likely energy deficient as well.
 
OP
mayweatherking
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,817
I'm thinking potassium has as much to do with constipation as magnesium. I'm remembering something Josh Rubin said about giving his son bananas in an attempt to increase the potassium due to constipation.

interesting.. yeah you are probably right. i know potassium helps with blood sugar regulation, or is one of the main minerals in charge of that, so maybe that's why it helps as well, maybe it offsets cortisol or something? i don't know, it's weird though how it always shows up in the middle of the range though, maybe it doesn't show on blood work if you are deficient or not
 

SOMO

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
Messages
1,094
You're fine drinking coconut water. It won't cause you to dehydrate. Nor will potassium can sodium to be excreted. Was your sodium below range or on the low side of range? If below range, that would be hyponaetremia or low sodium, which would make you faint and hospitalized. But the body will try to excrete water thru the urine in an attempt to get your sodium back to the right concentration. In the process, you will lose enough water to get you considered dehydrated.


I was thinking the other day about peristalsis, which controls bowel movement naturally. If magnesium is deficient, it may affect peristalsis, as it requires energy. If you're magnesium-deficient, you are likely energy deficient as well.

I wasn't implying coconut water gave me dehydration btw, that was the alcohol.

I'm saying it didn't prevent me from dehydrating due to alcohol. Sodium was below range, and I felt abnormal physically. I was also urinating a lot and drinking water to replace the water, but a nurse told me if someone is low-Sodium, drinking more water can reduce/dilute it further.
 
OP
mayweatherking
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,817
I wasn't implying coconut water gave me dehydration btw, that was the alcohol.

I'm saying it didn't prevent me from dehydrating due to alcohol. Sodium was below range, and I felt abnormal physically. I was also urinating a lot and drinking water to replace the water, but a nurse told me if someone is low-Sodium, drinking more water can reduce/dilute it further.

did u test aldosterone? i think that one is good for checking if salt intake is good or not, it goes down if your salt intake is good, i think it should be near the bottom of the range, i got mine tested the other day, helped me to see if i was getting enough salt or not
 

Dotdash

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
136
did u test aldosterone? i think that one is good for checking if salt intake is good or not, it goes down if your salt intake is good, i think it should be near the bottom of the range, i got mine tested the other day, helped me to see if i was getting enough salt or not

That is a good suggestion. There is such a yin/yang between sodium and potassium.

Adele Davis writes:
"Aldesterone holds salt and water in the body, thus preventing dehydration. When it is being produced in excessive amounts during the first two stages of stress, so much water may be retained that the hands, ankles, and eyes become puffy and too much potassium is lost in the urine. Restricting the salt intake at such a time causes aldosterone to be excreted and prevents the loss of potassium. Taking potassium to replace the urinary losses also rectifies this situation. Adrenals exhausted from prolonged stress are unable to produce sufficient amounts of aldosterone; too much salt and water are lost from the body, the blood pressure usually falls below normal; dehydration occurs, and potassium is withdrawn from the cells. In this case salt rather than potassium is needed."
 
OP
mayweatherking
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,817
That is a good suggestion. There is such a yin/yang between sodium and potassium.

Adele Davis writes:
"Aldesterone holds salt and water in the body, thus preventing dehydration. When it is being produced in excessive amounts during the first two stages of stress, so much water may be retained that the hands, ankles, and eyes become puffy and too much potassium is lost in the urine. Restricting the salt intake at such a time causes aldosterone to be excreted and prevents the loss of potassium. Taking potassium to replace the urinary losses also rectifies this situation. Adrenals exhausted from prolonged stress are unable to produce sufficient amounts of aldosterone; too much salt and water are lost from the body, the blood pressure usually falls below normal; dehydration occurs, and potassium is withdrawn from the cells. In this case salt rather than potassium is needed."

interesting on the second part. so if you have low steroid hormones, you will have low aldosterone, even though it should be higher? i never saw this before. i always just thought the aldosterone goes up when you don't have enough salt, and goes down when you do have enough salt. my aldosterone is low. i notice salt dries my skin out sometimes, so i never know the amount to use. i thought i got enough because mine was low.
 

yerrag

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
10,883
Location
Manila
I wasn't implying coconut water gave me dehydration btw, that was the alcohol.

I'm saying it didn't prevent me from dehydrating due to alcohol. Sodium was below range, and I felt abnormal physically. I was also urinating a lot and drinking water to replace the water, but a nurse told me if someone is low-Sodium, drinking more water can reduce/dilute it further.
I suppose coconut water is still useful as IV and for drinking for people who aren't hyponaetremic, but for people who are, as you described yourself then, it won't help with increasing sodium. You can taste coconut water and realize that it doesn't taste as salty as an isotonic salt solution. There is a narrow range where salt concentration needs to be in our body, and in or blood, outside of which becomes dangerous, as people go into shock outside that range.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom