The essential role of potassium in health and life?

Role of Potassium in the Body

• Potassium helps balance water and electrolytes in the body, maintaining physical activity, especially cardiovascular, muscular, digestive, urinary.
• A diet rich in potassium helps lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attacks, improve insulin use in the body, reduce arrhythmias, improve depression and anorexia.
• In addition, Potassium helps produce Protein from Amino Acids and converts Glucose into Glycogen – The source of energy for all body movements .
• Potassium also helps prevent osteoporosis in the elderly.
• In the growing age and pregnant women need a diet rich in potassium to help build strong bones and develop muscles.

The role of Kali for each object

The human body absorbs potassium mainly through daily intake. Excess potassium will be eliminated through urine and sweat.

Kali’s role

For adults

• Potassium keeps the heart rhythm regular and stable. Potassium-rich diets also reduce blood cholesterol, limiting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• Potassium has the effect of regulating blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke.
• In addition, potassium also supports the metabolism of protein and carbohydrates, helps the digestive system work effectively, stimulates the development of the muscle and nervous system.

For pregnant women

• Potassium helps balance water and electrolytes in the body. Pregnant women need potassium supplements to stabilize blood pressure.
• Potassium also reduces leg cramps. Pregnant women need about 4.7 g of Potassium per day.

For children

• Potassium is essential for muscle and brain development in children. School-age children are often deficient in potassium.
• Potassium helps prevent the risk of blood pressure, heart disease, kidney stones for children in the future.
• The amount of potassium children need varies with age. Every day, children from 1 to 3 years old need about 3 g of potassium, children from 4 to 8 years old need about 3.8 g of potassium.

How will potassium deficiency or excess affect?

Potassium deficiency

• Symptoms of mild potassium deficiency: body fatigue, muscle pain, lower extremity pain, insomnia, depression, allergic skin, blistering, dry skin, intestinal inflammation.
• Symptoms of severe potassium deficiency: nausea, diarrhea, arrhythmia, confusion, disorientation, poor concentration, slow reflexes, joint pain.
• Long-term potassium deficiency will cause cardiovascular and nervous system disorders , more serious can cause muscle paralysis, death .

Excess potassium

• Increased potassium in the blood leads to nausea, bloating, diarrhea, heart palpitations, numbness of the fingertips and feet, severe cases can cause the heart to stop beating, death .

Food sources rich in potassium

• Potassium-rich foods include vegetables and fruits, chocolate, especially bananas. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and legumes are good sources of potassium.
• Food groups containing relatively potassium include: fish, clams, cereals, yogurt.
• Milk powder contains enough potassium that the body needs every day. Because milk is a very familiar food, easily absorbed, it is also a good source of potassium.

Some notes when adding potassium

• Potassium deficiency is uncommon. The subjects of potassium deficiency are usually: patients with diarrhea, especially children, people with kidney disease, diabetes, people who sweat a lot…
• Processed potassium-rich foods boiled in water can lose 50% to 70% of potassium. Therefore, it is possible to change the processing method to steamed or eaten raw depending on the type of food.
• Choose to buy potassium-rich foods at reputable stores, to ensure safety and hygiene for the health of you and your family.

Potassium is a familiar and necessary mineral for health, has a protective effect on the heart, muscle and nervous system development in children. Everyone, especially pregnant women and children, should get enough potassium every day.

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