Potassium in food
What is the role of potassium in the human body, what foods are rich in this chemical element and for what diseases are it recommended using them?
To preserve health and maintain vitality, oxygen, water and nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, as well as trace elements and vitamins) must come from the environment to the human body.
Among the inorganic chemical elements, one of the most important is potassium, which will be analyzed in this article.
Potassium (along with sodium and chlorine) regulates the metabolism of water and salt in the body, maintains osmotic pressure and acid-base balance, ensures the normal functioning of cells and tissues, organs and systems.
Foods rich in potassium are especially necessary for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, the muscular-ligament apparatus and the brain.
How much potassium should be eaten daily with food? From three to five grams per day.
Foods rich in potassium
A large amount of potassium is found in foods of plant origin. First, apricots and plums (including dried apricots, dried apricots, prunes), grapes and apples, potatoes and legumes (beans, peas, soy).
A lot of potassium and in milk, kale, oats and buckwheat, nuts, berries, fish and seafood.
By regularly including these foods in your diet, you can easily provide your body with enough potassium.
If necessary, with a doctor's prescription, you can take several medications that contain potassium (it is often combined with magnesium, less frequently, along with other macro and microelements).
Foods rich in potassium are not uncommon, so providing the body with this important chemical element for health is not that difficult.
If required, the doctor can prescribe for a short time the so-called potassium diet, recommended for hypertension, heart failure, kidney disease with edema, as well as when taking diuretic medications.
Said diet implies take foods rich in potassium and limit salts of sodium in the diet (the proportion of potassium and sodium must be at least 8: 1 and not more than 14: 1).
At the same time, la daily amount of potassium from food is 5 to 7 grams per day.
Potassium-rich foods such as dried apricots, prunes, raisins, potatoes and cabbage, apricots and peaches, milk and cottage cheese, oats and buckwheat porridge with oil are included in the daily ration.