What is the danger of potassium deficiency and how to recognize it? Checking yourself against the list

doctor of integrative medicine, therapist, infectious disease specialist at UniProf Academy of Physicians

How to realize that you have a potassium deficiency?

The average body contains about 140 g of potassium, with the bulk of it inside cells. Outside the cell, the potassium content is about 2%.

Why you need potassium

It is one of the key macronutrients on which the balanced functioning of the body as a whole depends.

The main functions of potassium are:

• maintenance of water balance, blood pressure;
• maintaining acid-base balance;
• ensuring the work of muscles and nerve cells;
• participation in the work and functioning of the heart, kidneys, adrenal glands;
• synthesis of hormones;
• ensuring the tone of blood vessels and smooth muscles.

Why there is a deficiency of potassium

Modern lifestyle, when the diet is dominated by convenience foods and fast food, a large amount of stress, low content of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium – all this leads to its pronounced deficiency.

In the diet of modern man, the ratio of potassium to sodium is about 1:2 instead of the recommended 5:1.

To maintain health, the optimal potassium intake should be 4700 mg per day, but in reality, the average person consumes only 470 mg.

In addition to the above factors that cause a deficiency of the macronutrient, a diet with excess sugar plays a huge role. In response to an increased dose of sweets, there is an “insulin surge”, which leads to a decrease in blood sugar. This can be accompanied by weakness, drowsiness, nervousness and even a decrease in memory, mental performance. To stabilize the condition, the adrenal glands begin to produce large amounts of the hormone cortisol, which contributes to the excretion of potassium with urine.

Potassium deficiency is also caused by increased salt intake, strict diets, alcohol consumption, intensive urination and sweating during physical activity with heat stress. Up to 4-5 g of potassium can be lost with sweat.

Chronic potassium loss also occurs with:

• prolonged diarrhea and vomiting;
• use of psychostimulants;
• use of certain diuretics;
• high levels of mercury in the body.

How to realize that you have a potassium deficiency

Although a blood test may show a normal potassium value of 3.5 to 5.2 mmol/L, this does not negate the fact that there is a tissue deficiency.

Among the nonspecific symptoms that may suggest a deficiency are:

• Cognitive impairment;
• anxiety;
• emotionality;
• chronic fatigue syndrome;
• arythymia;
• dizziness;
• weakness, drowsiness, headaches after overeating simple carbohydrates;
• craving for foods with high potassium content: bananas, tomatoes, potatoes.

And how to identify iodine deficiency in the body, read the article at the link.

What is the danger of potassium deficiency

If you do not eliminate the deficiency, the situation worsens and is likely to develop such signs:

• acne;
• edema;
• constipation;
• increased blood pressure;
• increased thirst;
• dry skin.

When the deficiency progresses to chronic deficiency, muscle weakness occurs, accompanied by a feeling of general malaise and restlessness.

What to do if you have a deficiency of potassium

First of all, it is the correction of diet and lifestyle, otherwise you will have to constantly take potassium supplements. But since the excess of the element is much worse than its deficiency, you can not select doses and control the level yourself – you need to consult a doctor.

In many fruits and vegetables, the ratio of potassium and sodium is 50:1. To correct the lack of potassium in the diet will help soy, potatoes, currants, apricots, raisins, bananas.

Potassium can also be found in other foods, but they also have elevated sodium. An ideal source of potassium that is low in sodium is bananas.

To correct potassium deficiency, you should also:

• limit the intake of caffeine, salt;
• timely treat conditions accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting;
• reduce the content of simple carbohydrates in the diet, including sweets;
• try to reduce the amount of stress, including normalizing sleep;
• avoid taking licorice root – it can lead to sodium retention in the body and increased excretion of potassium.