Did you know that potassium benefits us in more ways that one? In fact the body uses potassium (K19) in abundance. The mineral is found in nearly every food, yet it does not mean we are getting enough. Why? Because of the way our food is processed and our lifestyle habits, much of the potassium is lost.
If you are loosing out health-wise through a potassium deficiency, you may be feeling tired and run-down constantly, your reflexes may be slow, your muscles may be weaker than normal, or you may be experiencing the ill effects of depression. A lack of potassium has a dire effect on our physical and emotional well-being.
Having a sufficient amount of potassium in your diet offers significant benefits. For starters potassium helps to keep the muscles in the body strong, including the most important muscle in the body the heart. Potassium also helps to control blood pressure and that water balance that is essential in the cells of the body. There are other potassium benefits as well such as keeping the nerve firings in peak form, helps to release needed energy from proteins, fats and carbohydrates during metabolism.
Your doctor may have emphasised the extensive role this mineral plays in the health of the heart. Not only does a regular supply of it help regulate blood pressure but it also reduces the risk factor for developing heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease which are all related to hypertension.
With so much food laden with K19, why could our bodies become deficient? The answer is that this particular mineral is not stored by our bodies and is used as it enters the intestines and blood stream. The daily allowance recommended is between 2000mg and 2500 mg to give your body a regular supply.
This may seem like a high amount to get, but by eating a healthy diet on a consistent basis you will actually consume between 2000 and 6000 milligrams a day. Again, the Western lifestyle of fast foods, processed, and packaged convenience meals make it difficult to get the minimum amount of potassium that is needed.
When you plan your meals try and incorporate raw foods. The less cooking we do the less our foods will loose K19 and we will reap greater potassium benefits. And speaking about cooking, using less salt will help you keep the correct ratio between the two minerals, warding off high blood pressure and other serious health issues.
You should also pay attention to the amount of caffeine that you are consuming as caffeine lowers potassium levels and so does alcohol. To make sure that you are getting the potassium that your body needs try to incorporate foods that are high in potassium such as almonds, potatoes, fresh orange juice, salmon, chicken, lima beans and cantaloupe. Do your best to get the most potassium benefits you can, feel better and keep your blood pressure under control.
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