Potassium is a nutrient that is critical for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body. It is crucial to heart function and plays a major role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, which is important for normal digestive and muscular function. Potassium is also an electrolyte, meaning it conducts electricity in the body, along with calcium, chloride, magnesium and sodium. The kidney is the main organ that controls the balance of potassium as it removes excess potassium into the urine.

Benefits to Keeping Potassium Levels Balanced

Hypokalemia is the result of having too little potassium in the blood and may be counteracted by ingesting foods containing high levels of potassium. On the other hand, hyperkalemia occurs when too much potassium is in the bloodstream. Older people have a greater risk of hyperkalemia as the kidneys become less efficient at eliminating potassium as a person ages.

Keeping the right potassium balance in the body relies on the amount of calcium, magnesium and sodium present in the body. Too much sodium or too little magnesium may increase the need for more potassium. As the daily intake of salt in Western cultures is much higher than other cultures, relative deficiency of dietary potassium in the modern diet may play a role in the pathology of some chronic diseases. Various studies have shown the benefits of healthy potassium diet and they include the following:

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