Let’s talk about the importance of potassium and what can happen if you don’t get enough.

Your body requires a lot of potassium. The daily requirement for potassium is 4700 mg.

Potassium is important for the sodium-potassium pump. The sodium-potassium pump is like a battery for your cells.

Vegetables are the best source of potassium. One cup of leafy greens provides between 500 and 800 mg of potassium. If you consumed five to ten cups of vegetables daily, you would get plenty of potassium. In comparison, a banana only provides about 300 mg of potassium. Bananas also contain a lot of fructose.

Unfortunately, the average person is not getting enough potassium from their diet—and potassium supplements typically only give you up to 99 mg of potassium per tablet.

Potassium deficiency is often overlooked. It’s difficult to diagnose, and symptoms of a potassium deficiency are sometimes vague. Early symptoms often include difficulty breathing, fatigue, and heart palpitations.

A more severe deficiency in potassium can lead to the following:

• High blood pressure

• Increased risk of stroke

• Fluid retention or edema

• Bone loss

• Kidney stones

Causes of potassium deficiency that go beyond a lack of potassium in the diet can include:

• Penicillin

• Diuretics

• Steroids

• Chronic stress

• High insulin (high-carb diet)

• Refined or processed foods

Even the keto diet and prolonged fasting can lead to a potassium deficiency if not done correctly. You will lose potassium as you lose water weight on keto. Consuming enough potassium on keto and taking a potassium supplement while doing a prolonged fast is crucial.

Eating too much too quickly after a prolonged fast or consuming too many carbs after a prolonged fast can also cause a severe potassium deficiency, which can be dangerous.

My challenge for you is to start consuming a lot of foods high in potassium, like leafy greens, for one week and see how you feel. I think you're going to notice a big difference.

DATA:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26948...

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org...

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