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Avoid the potassium deficiency symptoms listed in our story by keeping the types of foods pictured here in your diet: bananas, mushrooms, potatoes, raisins, lentils, apricots, seeds, tomatoes, almonds, avocados, cocoa, and spinach.
So how can you make sure you're getting enough potassium? The good news is, it's easy. Start replacing some of the processed, high-sodium foods in your diet with fruits and veggies; potassium is readily available in most of them, and they're naturally low in sodium.
Low potassium levels can cause symptoms like fatigue and frequent urination. Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, may help.
Occasionally, low potassium is caused by not getting enough potassium in your diet. Causes of potassium loss include: Alcohol use. Chronic kidney disease. Diabetic ketoacidosis (in which the body has high levels of blood acids called ketones) Diarrhea. Diuretics (water retention relievers) Excessive laxative use. Excessive sweating.
Your body doesn’t produce potassium. Like essential nutrients and amino acids, you need to get it from an outside source. Fortunately, it’s found in a variety of foods — mostly plant-based. Experts estimate that most American adults don’t get enough potassium each day.
While low potassium can result from not getting enough potassium in your diet, it is more likely caused by conditions in which your body excretes too much potassium, either from the gastrointestinal tract or your kidneys.
“Only rarely is low potassium caused by not getting enough potassium in your diet,” says Levine. If you’re on diuretics, your potassium should be monitored. If it gets too low, your doctor may prescribe supplements.
How much potassium should I eat? Most women should get 2,600 milligrams of potassium a day and men should get 3,400 milligrams a day, but most of us fall short. On average, men eat about 3,000 mg/day, and women eat about 2,300 mg/day. Potassium is part of an overall heart-healthy eating pattern.
Potassium deficiency can occur if a person does not get enough potassium from their diet or loses too much potassium through prolonged diarrhea or vomiting. Potassium is an essential nutrient...
Occasionally, low potassium is caused by not getting enough potassium in your diet. In most cases, low potassium is found by a blood test that is done because of an illness, or because you are taking diuretics. It is rare for low potassium to cause isolated symptoms such as muscle cramps if you are feeling well in other respects.