Potassium Improves Health

Increasing potassium intake may lead to a wide range of health benefits, according to a recent report in the British Medical Journal.¹ Doctors from St George's Hospital Medical School in London, after conducting an extensive review of the medical literature, concluded that consuming adequate amounts of potassium may help prevent or reverse high blood pressure (hypertension), and may also reduce the risk of stroke, kidney stones, and osteoporosis.

Numerous studies have shown that increasing potassium intake can lower blood pressure, both in individuals with hypertension and, to a lesser extent, in those with normal blood pressure. Even among people who have successfully reduced their blood pressure by restricting their sodium intake, an increase in dietary potassium results in a further lowering of blood pressure.

Reducing elevated blood pressure plays a key role in preventing strokes, and this effect may explain in part the role of potassium in stroke prevention. However, experiments in rats, as well as population studies in humans, have shown that a high potassium intake prevents strokes even among groups that are carefully matched for blood pressure. This means that at least some of the stroke-preventing effect of potassium is unrelated to its blood pressure-lowering action.

Increasing potassium intake has also been shown to reduce the urinary excretion of calcium. Presumably, less calcium loss from the body would result in stronger bones over the long run. In fact, a study of middle-aged women demonstrated that bone mineral density of the hip and spine increased with increasing dietary potassium intake. Furthermore, a reduction in the amount of calcium excreted in the urine would be expected to prevent kidney stones, since urinary calcium is one of the main determinants of kidney stone risk.

For the most part, consuming a high-potassium diet is safe, as any potassium the body does not need is rapidly excreted by the kidneys. However, individuals with kidney disease or advanced diabetes may not be capable of eliminating the extra potassium, and could develop dangerous, even life-threatening, elevations in their blood potassium levels if they ingest too much of the mineral. Moreover, certain prescription medications, including some diuretics and heart medications, may reduce the body's ability to excrete potassium. Individuals with kidney disease or diabetes, and those taking prescription medications, should consult their doctor before increasing their intake of potassium.

The authors of this report point out that the best way to increase potassium intake is to eat abundant amounts of fruits and vegetables. However, potassium is also available in supplement form, for those who are unable to consume sufficient amounts of high-potassium foods.

References:

1. He FJ, MacGregor GA. Fortnightly review: Beneficial effects of potassium. BMJ 2001;323:497–501 [review].

Alan R. Gaby, MD, an expert in nutritional therapies, served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine. He is the Medical Editor for Clinical Essentials Alert, is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994), and co-author of The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Edition (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), Clinical Essentials Volume 1 and 2 (Healthnotes, 2000), and The Patient’s Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999). Currently he is the Endowed Professor of Nutrition at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, Kenmore, WA.

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