|
Potassium
Studies have shown an inverse relation between blood pressure and dietary
intake of potassium—that is, low potassium intake is associated with higher
blood pressure and vice versa. High intake of potassium may help protect
against developing high blood pressure, and low intake may increase blood
pressure. In addition, potassium seems to enhance the beneficial effect
of restricting sodium in the diet.
Adequate potassium intake is especially important for people with high
blood pressure. Low levels of potassium in the blood may result from the
diuretic therapy often used for patients with high blood pressure. It
may be necessary for these patients to add potassium in the form of a
potassium supplement or potassium-containing salt substitute, or to switch
to a potassium-sparing diuretic.
Potassium supplementation is probably not as important as controlling
body weight and reducing sodium intake in most people. Potassium supplementation
may be important in preventing high blood pressure in people with a low
dietary intake of potassium.
There is not a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for potassium. However,
the recommended daily minimum intake used in food labeling is 3,500 mg,
an amount that can easily be obtained by increasing consumption of fruits,
vegetables, and beans. As a rule, processing decreases potassium and increases
sodium in foods. Good sources of potassium are listed from high to low
in the table below.
Potassium Content of Selected
Foods
| Food |
Potassium (mg)
|
| White beans, cooked (3/4 cup) |
745
|
| Salt substitute containing potassium (1/4
tsp) |
715
|
| Potato, baked (1 medium) |
510
|
| Pinto beans, cooked (3/4 cup) |
600
|
| Yogurt, low-fat, plain (1 cup) |
625
|
| Baked beans, vegetarian, canned
(3/4 cup) |
640
|
| Lentils, cooked (3/4 cup) |
550
|
| Lima beans, cooked (3/4 cup) |
520
|
| Kidney beans, cooked (3/4 cup) |
535
|
| Tomato juice, low sodium (1 cup) |
535
|
| Cantaloupe, cubed (1 cup) |
495
|
| Orange juice, frozen, reconstituted (1
cup) |
480
|
| Yogurt, low-fat, w/ fruit (1 cup) |
475
|
| Black beans, cooked (3/4 cup) |
475
|
| Honeydew melon, cubed (1cup) |
460
|
| Tomatoes, low sodium, canned (3/4 cup) |
410
|
| Apricots, dried, uncooked (9 halves or
1/4 cup) |
450
|
| Banana (1 large) |
540
|
| Milk, low-fat, protein-fortified (1 cup) |
445
|
| Spinach, frozen, cooked (3/4 cup) |
460
|
| 100% bran ready-to-eat-cereal (3/4 cup) |
410
|
| Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked (3/4 cup) |
540
|
| Grapefruit juice (1 cup) |
400
|
| Milk, low-fat (1 cup) |
380
|
| Pork, tenderloin, cooked (3 ounces) |
370
|
| Watermelon, cubed (2 cups) |
350
|
| Carrot juice (1/2 cup) |
345
|
| Prune juice (1/2 cup) |
350
|
| Prunes, dried (5 medium) |
345
|
| Avocado (1/4 medium) |
260
|
| Apple juice (1 cup) |
290
|
| Flounder, cooked (3 oz) |
290
|
| Nectarine (1 medium) |
290
|
| Beef, round, cooked (3 oz) |
300
|
| Blackberries (1 cup) |
280
|
| Pink salmon, unsalted, canned (3 oz) |
275
|
| Beets, sliced, low sodium, canned (3/4
cup) |
170
|
| Tomato, fresh (1 medium) |
273
|
| Strawberries, sliced (1 cup) |
275
|
| Carrot, raw (1 medium) |
197
|
| Orange (1 medium) |
235
|
| Cherries, fresh (15) |
230
|
| Turkey, unprocessed, roasted (3 oz) |
205
|
| Chicken, roasted (3 oz) |
205
|
| Tuna, water-packed, unsalted (1/2 cup) |
180
|
| Grapefruit (1/2 medium) |
190
|
Nutrient values from Nutrition Data System
for Research version 4.02, Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
|
