Here\u2019s how to keep tabs on your potassium levels and how to get more of it.<\/strong><\/p>\nThere\u2019s no easy way to tell at home where your potassium levels stand. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut your diet offers helpful clues,\u201d Acosta said. \u201cIf you\u2019re regularly eating potassium-rich foods, you\u2019re likely meeting your needs.\u201d <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re struggling with persistent symptoms like muscle weakness, unusual fatigue, heart palpitations and cramps, she recommended talking to your healthcare provider. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese symptoms are not necessarily specific to potassium deficiency and can be attributed to other causes as well, so it\u2019s important to not try to self-diagnose,\u201d Acosta said. Among other things, your healthcare provider may want to give you a blood test to check your potassium levels.<\/p>\n
Cochran also suggested using a food diary app to keep track of your potassium intake. \u201cIf you\u2019re getting below the recommended dietary intake and experiencing symptoms, you can work on increasing your intake of high potassium foods to see if symptoms improve while you wait to get in to see your doctor,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Ideally, you\u2019d get plenty of potassium every day. But it\u2019s also a good idea to take in more of the nutrient after you get sweaty, Zhang said. \u201cAfter prolonged sweating, potassium-rich foods can help with recovery.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cMost people focus on sodium replenishment after getting sweaty, which is still important, but if your salt intake is high and potassium intake is low, this can actually force your heart and muscles to work even harder, and put more strain on your body,\u201d Cochran said. <\/p>\n
She suggested choosing foods like bananas, avocados, coconut water, yogurt, milk, beans, lentils, or soy milk after sweating to help replenish potassium. \u201cAdding a pinch of salt or eating salted nuts or seeds with a high-potassium food can help to keep things balanced,\u201d Cochran added.<\/p>\n
For most people, eating a balanced diet can help combat potassium that\u2019s lost when you sweat, according to Zhang. But those who have low potassium levels based on testing ordered by a doctor may benefit from taking a supplement, Acosta said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re typically prescribed for individuals with clinically low potassium levels or those taking certain medications,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause too much potassium can be dangerous, supplements should only be used under medical supervision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s when to see a healthcare provider about your potassium levels.<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you feel off and aren\u2019t taking in enough potassium through your diet, Cochran said it\u2019s worth ramping up your intake of the nutrient and seeing how you feel, especially if it\u2019s hot out and you\u2019ve been sweating more than usual. <\/p>\n
But Acosta said it\u2019s a good idea to see your healthcare provider for more severe and consistent symptoms, like persistent muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, unexplained fatigue or severe cramping.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese could be potassium-related … or they could be related to something else,\u201d Acosta said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eating a healthy diet involves getting in a good mix of nutrients. But some nutrients are more important…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1061899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4318],"tags":[105,4434,41248,16,15],"class_list":["post-1061898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-nutrition","tag-potassium","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116845009273272379","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1061898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1061898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1061898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1061899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1061898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1061898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1061898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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