Special K
Written by Karen on February 27th, 2009
It’s not just for breakfast anymore…this ‘special K’ is the chemical symbol for potassium.
One out of every four Americans has high blood pressure. While high sodium levels play a role in this statistic, so does your intake of potassium.
Potassium is a mineral that keeps the heart pumping smoothly and blood pressure at an even keel. It is best when consumed with the right balance of sodium (read high K, low Na,) but currently most trends reflect the opposite. Ideally, the ratio is 5:1 (K:Na) which is ten times higher than the average intake!
Foods with excellent K:Na ratios:
- Apples, 90:1
- Bananas, 440:1
- Carrots, 75:1
- Oranges, 260:1
- Potatoes, 100:1
Other Foods High in K (potassium):
- Avocado
- Dried apricots
- Orange juice
- Plain yogurt
- Edamame
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Papaya
- Salmon
- Winter Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Kiwi
- Sweet Potato
- Beets and beet greens
- Peaches
- Broccoli
- Lima Beans
- Tomatoes
- Dried figs
Other Benefits:
- Water balance and distribution
- Muscle and nerve cell function
- Heart function
- Kidney and adrenal function
Remember to always taste your food before salting, especially in restaurants. Based on statistics of the Standard American Diet (SAD,) it usually contains more than we need.
2
AM
I’ve heard that potassium rich foods like bananas are good for people with depression. Do you know if potassium affects mood and how?
Michelle @ What Does Your Body Good?s last blog post..Breakfast, you’re fired!
3
PM
Michelle,
All I have been able to find about potassium affecting moods is that is helps create a ‘healthy nervous system’, but nothing specific to depression. I personally have a texture problem with bananas, but my husband eats one a day and he’s always happy:)