Potassium-rich foods: There’s a lot of them here

Potassium-rich foods are many of our fruits and vegetables. But the right preparation determines how much potassium you actually consume.

Our daily needs potassium we have to take in through food. Our body can do that minerals Do not produce potassium yourself or store it in reserve.

In addition to other minerals, potassium controls important body functions:

• Potassium creates an electrical voltage in the cells so that the nerves can pass the information on to the cells. Only then can our muscles and organs work.
• Together with sodium, potassium regulates the level of blood pressure.
• As a coenzyme, potassium is also involved in the growth of cells. So is one especially for children balanced nutrition important with potassium.

The German Society for Nutrition eV estimates an adult’s average potassium requirement at 4,000 milligrams per day. Children aged ten need about half as an adult. In breastfeeding women, the requirement increases to 4,400 milligrams.

According to the BfR Germans are well supplied with potassium. Only older people can suffer from potassium deficiency due to their diet and certain medications.

These foods are rich in potassium

Potassium is found in the soil and plants ingest it through their roots. Therefore, all plant foods contain potassium in varying concentrations. The livestock take up potassium through the forage plants, so that potassium is also found in meat, dairy products or fish.

These foods are rich in potassium:

• Fruit: Dried fruit, apricots, Bananas, Raspberries, Honeydew melon, currants, kiwi
• Vegetables: all Cabbage varieties, legumes, Carrots, Kohlrabi, Turnips, pumpkin, dandelion, Corn, Radish, black salsify, celery, Red pepper, tomatoes, fennel
• Nuts: Hazelnuts, Cashew nuts, Peanuts, Almonds
• Grain: Spelt, rye, Buckwheat
• Organic cocoa or natural fruit and vegetable juices

The German Society for Nutrition suggests on its website Nutrition plans that will give you the recommended 4000 milligrams of potassium.

Foods rich in potassium – preparation is important

The element potassium combines quickly with water. So if you boil vegetables such as broccoli or potatoes in water for a long time, the potassium from the vegetables will remain in the cooking water.

Therefore: ever less water you use for cooking, even more so more potassium and other nutrients remain in the food.

• You can vegetables like broccoli Cook gently over steam or eat raw.
• Potatoes or other vegetables can be prepared in the oven or fried in the pan.

Compared to fresh fruits or vegetables potassium more focused in:

• dried fruits
• Tomato paste
• Fruit and vegetable juices

Less potassium on the other hand is in Frozen foods contain.

Prevent high blood pressure with foods rich in potassium

If your body is getting too little potassium, this can among other things Paralysis and cardiac arrhythmias to lead.

In the short term, severe gastrointestinal flu can lead to an undersupply of minerals such as potassium. Even after one-sided diets, fasting or dehydration cures, it is advisable to start eating more vegetables and fruits again. If you have diabetes or kidney disease, you should have your doctor regularly test your potassium level.

The natural balance of Potassium and sodium can be disturbed by salty food. Sodium occurs in table salt and can increase if consumed excessively high blood pressure to lead. Potassium on the other hand lowers blood pressure.

To prevent high blood pressure, which can result in a higher risk of stroke, recommends the German Nutrition Society a diet high in potassium. Meals made from fresh ingredients are usually high in potassium and low in sodium.

On the other hand, ready meals or sausages are usually very heavily salted and should be on the menu less often.

A Greek study shows that cola can also lead to a lack of potassium.

For a healthy person, too much potassium through food is usually not a problem, because the kidneys excrete the excess. However, it can with high-dose potassium supplements to a pathological overdose come. You should only take such preparations after consulting your doctor.

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