Everything You Need to Know About Potassium Deficiency
The lack of fruits and vegetables is one of
the major weaknesses of the flawed Western diet, as it can lead to
widespread nutritional deficiencies. For example, did you know that 98%
of Americans are not getting enough potassium from their diets according
to a 2014 nationwide survey? This is pretty alarming because potassium
is a mineral that we need to get from foods every day as the human body
doesn’t produce it on its own.
In fact, the importance of potassium for
our health and wellbeing is underestimated way too often. Not getting
enough potassium from food can lead to several dangerous symptoms
ranging from digestive issues to extreme fatigue, heart issues, and
muscle cramps that can be misdiagnosed and mistreated. In this article,
we explain why potassium is so important for our bodies, how to detect a
potassium deficiency and its causes, and how healthy eating habits can
help you maintain adequate potassium levels.
What role does potassium play in the body?
Potassium is what is known as an
electrolyte - a mineral that is dissolved in water and helps conduct
electrical impulses in the body. It’s the third most abundant mineral in
the body, and it works alongside other electrolytes, such as sodium and
magnesium to accomplish a variety of functions, namely:
Helps regulate blood pressure
Conducts nerve impulses
Balances water and pH in the body
Is important for digestion
Plays a role in muscle contractions, including heart rhythm.
Getting enough potassium from our diet has a variety of positive
outcomes for our health, and those who get enough of it have lower blood
pressure, less water retention, a reduced incidence of stroke,
osteoporosis, and kidney stones. Most health organizations recommend
getting between 3.500 and 4.700 mg of potassium every day. Since fruit
and vegetables are the richest sources of potassium, those of us who
adhere to a Western diet high in processed foods and very low in fresh
produce are not able to get enough of the mineral from our diet. This
could ultimately lead to a potassium deficiency, known as hypokalemia.
Symptoms of potassium deficiency
The symptoms of potassium deficiency vary depending on the severity of
the deficiency and range from mild to severe, which is exactly the order
in which we list them below.
Fatigue and muscle weakness
Fatigue and general weakness are usually the first noticeable signs of
potassium deficiency. Because potassium is involved in muscle
contractions, a lack of the mineral may cause muscle weakness. A
scarcity of potassium in the brain may also lead to mood changes and
mental health issues. There’s also some evidence to suggest that
inadequate levels of potassium in the body may increase blood sugar
levels, which can also contribute to the feeling of fatigue.
Digestive issues
We have muscles in our gut, too. These muscles stimulate contractions
that help food travel through the digestive tract. Since potassium is
involved in all muscle contractions, a lack thereof may lead to
indigestion and constipation. In severe cases, the gut may even become
paralyzed.
Muscle cramps
Uncontrollable muscle movements and painful spasms in the muscles can
also be a symptom of moderate potassium deficiency. Patients who
experience this symptom don’t have enough potassium to control muscle
movements. In severe cases, a person may experience muscle aches and
stiffness, which are a very alarming sign, as it means that your muscle
cells don’t get enough oxygen and start leaking and degrading.
Heart palpitations
If your heart starts racing or skips a beat without a reason, it may be a
sign of a moderate to severe potassium deficiency. The same symptom is
fine when you’re doing physical activities or feeling anxious, but when
it occurs while you’re resting, it could point to arrhythmia, a heart
condition that is linked to many serious heart conditions.
Shortness of breath
Severe potassium deficiencies can lead to breathing difficulties, as
this mineral is the messenger from the brain that tells our lungs to
expand and contract. When potassium levels are critically low, patients
may experience difficulty breathing, in rare cases, to the point that
the lungs stop working altogether.
The causes of a potassium deficiency
The good news is that a diet that is slightly low in potassium is rarely
the cause of a severe deficiency and mostly accounts for milder cases
of hypokalemia. There are certain medications and conditions, however,
which together with a diet low in potassium can lead to a severe
potassium deficiency. A sudden loss of fluids can lead to hypokalemia,
for example, so excess sweating, diarrhea, and vomiting are often the
cause of the condition.
Certain medications, such as diuretics that
are commonly used to treat hypertension can likewise make you lose a
lot of water (and potassium). Other conditions that disrupt the body’s
ability to absorb nutrients, such as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),
as well as kidney disease and the use of some antibiotics are also known
to lead to hypokalemia.
If you are in either of these high-risk groups and you’re experiencing
any of the symptoms we mentioned above, consider asking for a test from
your doctor to make sure your potassium levels are in check. While mild
cases of potassium deficiency are best addressed with a potassium-rich
diet, severe cases may require supplementation. Do not, however, take
potassium supplements on your own, especially if you’re a senior or
someone suffering from kidney problems, as they may damage your kidneys.
The safest way to maintain adequate levels of potassium is by including
many potassium-rich foods in your diet every day. In the image above, we
list the amount of potassium present in 100 grams of 10 common foods
with relation to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of the mineral.