Did you know 98% of Americans have a potassium-deficient diet? That’s a significant amount of the population, and it’s likely due to the average American’s affinity with processed foods which sacrifices nutrition for taste, cost, and comfort. Choosing unhealthy processed foods over raw and organic veggies and fruits can push you one step closer to potassium deficiency and other health complications.
So, what happens to your body when you don’t get enough potassium? Why do we need it in the first place? And is there a way to restore your potassium levels? We’ll discuss all this and a lot more. Keep reading till the end as we got all your questions covered!
Let’s begin with the symptoms of potassium deficiency.
Have you been struggling with Constipation?
Potassium is crucial in transmitting signals from the brain and regulating muscle contractions. Low potassium levels can affect the muscles in your intestines, the long tubular structure where food is broken down to produce energy before it is flushed out as waste. In such cases, your intestines cannot do their job and fail to contract as they should regularly. Fewer muscle contractions make food and residual waste challenging to pass. As a result, stools remain in the colon, causing constipation.In medical terms, this is called Paralytic ileus, which refers to the temporary and partial paralysis of your intestine muscles. Paralytic ileus is often accompanied by bloating and gas. Severe potassium deficiency or hypokalemia is a common electrolyte disturbance, especially in hospitalized patients, and sometimes it requires urgent medical attention. So, keep your potassium levels in check and consult a doctor if your constipation lasts more than a week.
Have recurring Muscle Pains and Cramps been troubling you?
If an old injury has made a dramatic comeback, you can blame it on potassium inadequacy. Potassium monitors the blood flow to your muscles. If you have low potassium levels, there will be a reduced supply of oxygen to your muscle tissues, leading them to grow stiff, and you will end up with aches and pains. Because Potassium is vital in relaying messages from your brain and regulating muscle contractions, a prolonged skeletal muscle contraction due to potassium insufficiency can cause cramps. Chronically low potassium levels can also lead to rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of muscle tissues. In this condition, muscle fibers responsible for strength break off and are released into the bloodstream, which then causes severe damage to your kidney. There is one more link between potassium inadequacy and muscle cramps. Potassium is an electrolyte that works alongside minerals such as sodium and magnesium to maintain water balance in your body. But what happens when you fall short of this nutrient? In that case, your water levels will be unbalanced, and no matter how many glasses of water you drink, you will be dehydrated. To restore balance, your body starts taking potassium from its cells, leaving them devoid of this mineral. This creates another imbalance, this time in your muscles, and you will likely experience severe cramping.
As we mentioned, sodium and potassium are electrolytes that work together to maintain water balance. But did you know that sometimes these work-pals can reverse roles and become opponents? That’s right! If you have high sodium levels because of your diet, it can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb potassium. It’s essential to monitor how much sodium you consume, so if munching on highly salted snacks is your favorite pastime, you might want to rethink your snacking preferences.
You feel a Tingling sensation in your Hands and Feet.
Do you often feel persistent tingles and numbness in your limbs after being in a specific position for some time? This strange sensation is referred to as paresthesia and could signify that you have low potassium levels. Potassium plays a vital role in enhancing the performance of the communication channels of your brain, which means proper nerve function and signaling. Low potassium levels can interfere with how your nerves send and receive signals from the brain. As a result, you feel these strange sensations that often occur in your body's extremities, including your hands, feet, arms, and legs. We usually call it the “Pins and Needles” sensation.Almost all of us have experienced it at one time or another. It happens when your body “Falls asleep.” This kind of paresthesia is temporary and happens because of brief periods of restricted blood flow or perhaps due to some minor pressure on a nerve and doesn’t necessarily require medical attention. On the other hand, long-lasting paresthesia can indicate an underlying medical issue. In such cases, it may come with stabbing pain and cause difficulty walking if it targets the feet. Even though this condition is common in those with moderate hypokalemia, most cases can be brought on by high potassium levels and show similar symptoms.
Have you been experiencing frequent Heart Palpitations lately?
A regular potassium intake is vital for regulating your heart rhythm and is responsible for maintaining electrolyte balance for your heart muscles to work smoothly. When you fall short of this nutrient, the imbalance creates a stir, and your heart might not be able to maintain a proper rhythm, leading to heart palpitations. If ignored, potassium deficiency can become chronic and lead to a severe cardiovascular issue called arrhythmia, a term used for an irregular heartbeat. You may face fluttering in the chest, recurring chest pain, fainting, and dizziness. Because arrhythmia causes irregular heartbeat, sometimes, it could beat very fast while others may experience a beat so slow it’s as if it doesn’t even exist. Both situations seriously threaten your life and can bring on a stroke or heart attack.
Do you make Frequent Bathroom Visits?
The constant urge to urinate can be challenging. You’ll tend to feel the need to use the restroom more than usual, and the constant desire to urinate can meddle with your sleep, your ability to concentrate, and your working schedule. Your body makes 3L of urine daily, but in case of a potassium insufficiency, your body can make up to 15 L of urine, which means 5 times your original capacity. This is why your bladder seems to be full all the time, and the urge to empty it increases. This condition is known as polyuria. But there has to be some part of your body that can help get this situation under control, right? That’s where your kidneys come in! Your kidneys are responsible for maintaining the balance of fluids in your body and getting rid of waste products in the form of urine. However, low potassium levels can meddle with your kidney’s role in managing waste and fluids by creating an imbalance in your electrolyte levels. A lack of potassium also reduces the kidneys’ ability to concentrate urine. As a result, you feel the need to urinate more often. Polyuria can also make you incredibly thirsty due to excessive urination depleting your water reserves, leaving you dehydrated. So to replenish your body, the brain sends signals for you to drink as much water as possible. This increase in thirst is called polydipsia.
Moving along, High Blood Pressure is a hallmark sign of potassium deficiency.
Maintaining an adequate balance of electrolytes is crucial for regulating your blood pressure. Most of us must have heard that consuming more sodium can leave you with raised blood pressure, but we hardly hear about potassium’s contribution. Low potassium levels can damage your kidneys, which are essential for removing excess sodium from your bloodstream. An impaired kidney won’t be able to process sodium, leading to excess sodium remaining in your body for longer, resulting in elevated blood pressure. Nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, which puts them at a greater risk of stroke or heart disease. Also, only one out of four have their blood pressure levels actually under control in the first place. But simply getting enough potassium through your diet is a step in the right direction to prevent elevated blood pressure. Studies have even shown that proper potassium intake can restore electrolyte balance, regulate sodium levels in your bloodstream, and help maintain it.
But how do you Replenish your Potassium Reserves?
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again; all you have to do is, increase your dietary intake of potassium. The average adult aged 20 and over should have a daily potassium intake from food of around 3,000 mg for men and 2,320 for women. However, a study suggests that the daily potassium intake may differ by race. From plants to animal-based sources, potassium is found in various foods. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources, as are legumes such as soy and kidney beans. Fruits like apricots alone contain approximately 800 milligrams of potassium per serving. Lentils are close in competition, with 750 mg of potassium per serving, and let’s not forget about bananas, with 358 mg per serving. Meat, poultry, fish, yogurt, and nuts also contain reasonable amounts of potassium. As for starchy foods, whole-wheat flour and brown rice are better alternatives to boost your potassium levels than refined white wheat flour and white rice.
Can you guess what the topmost supplier of potassium is in the diet of an average American adult? Non-alcoholic beverages! Yes, the same coffee that keeps you going and helps you manage those weary Monday-morning blues is an excellent source of potassium, and milk and tea are also crucial contributors. Do none of these suit you? Well, you can also try squash, spinach, broccoli, soymilk, asparagus, apples, orange juice, and raisins. Potassium and sodium are allies that work together to keep your body functioning. Now that we talked about one, why not the other?
Did you have any signs of potassium deficiency? Let us know in the comments section below!
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should never use content in my writing as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or another qualified clinician. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if indicated for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog. Thank you.