Potassium has none of the fame of its cousins magnesium or iron, but it is an essential mineral, you have to have it.
The basic entry is 2000 mg, the recommended intake is 3400 mg, while the RDA is USA used to be 4700 mg before it was controversially lowered.
While estimates of what paleo groups would have eaten vary from 8000-15,000 mg.
Note the risk curve here for strokes keeps going down as doses push past 2000 mg (2g).
So how many people are hitting the target of 3500mg ?
To get your daily intake we need to eat real whole food, and lots of it.
So can we use the serum blood tests GP’s use to rule deficiency out?
Sadly not, the problem is 98% of all potassium is INSIDE the cells.
And thus it is well known that serum levels correlate poorly with bodily stores.
The best test is a red blood cell (RBC) potassium, which as a cell, reflects cellular levels.
If we use serum potassium levels of under 3.5 nmol/L (gross deficiency), then only 1.9% of general population are deficient.
f we then use OPTIMAL RANGES, we can say anything under 4 is suboptimal and anyone under 4.5 nmol/L, we would suggest they increase potassium from food and potentially supplements.
So, serum potassium can rule deficiency in and sub-optimal status in, but it CANNOT rule either out.
And, the proof is we see the same population tested at 1.9% deficiency rate, but now tested with RBC potassium, to get CELLULAR levels.
And, remember that is gross deficiency and does include not sub-optimal.
So, who should we look at for adding in extra potassium?
And especially atrial fibrillation and palpitations.
Remember we talked about the patient with AF before, who had serum potassium up to 4.6 nmol/L, but because I know serum cannot rule out CELLULAR deficiency, I gave him potassium….and 3 days later his AF stopped 🤯
Re-read about it here, click it:
Cramps, not only does it have 500 mg of potassium citrate, but also 150 mg magnesium bisglycinate, and 664 mg of sodium from salt, a perfect combo for cramps.
Anyone one blood pressure medication that is known to deplete potassium or magnesium.
As we know:
If in doubt, check your drug nutrient depletion chart:
If you and your patients are using another electrolyte, I invite you to check the dose of potassium and magnesium.
99% of them are salt with a token dose of potassium and magnesium, sub-therapeutic.
We use 500 mg POTASSIUM CITRATE and 150 mg MAGNESIUM BISGLYCINATE, see how we measure up below against two other popular electrolytes.
We use potassium CITRATE because citrates convert to BICARBONATE, which helps keep the blood pH balanced.
If you don’t do it via diet, the kidneys have to. Sometimes they can no problem, sometimes they cannot.
It is also great for kidney stones.
