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Potassium, Deficiency And Potassium Rich Food
By Candy Williams
Potassium represents 5% percent of the total mineral content of a human body, even though only about one litre is found in the body at a time. Potassium is found in our bodies both inside and outside cells and is a very important mineral required every day to stay healthy. More than 98% of the body's potassium is intracellular. The body easily absorbs potassium, but nearly 90% of it is excreted through the kidneys and bowels. Thus, potassium is a natural diuretic and is important for the elimination of body wastes, such as water and sodium.
Potassium is a primary electrolyte, it is a great alkalizer, and important for maintaining pH and water balance.
Benefits of potassium:
1.Along with other minerals such as sodium, chloride and calcium, potassium helps in normal cellular function, such as transmission of nerve impulses, digestion, healthy muscle contractions, proper cardiovascular functioning (heartbeat irregularities are normally a sign of potassium deficiency), and helping the body to convert glucose into glycogen (the body's stored form of energy).
2.Potassium helps promote healthy cardiovascular health. It is strongly believed that potassium has the ability to pump sodium out of the body’s cells and reduce body fluid.
3.Potassium, along with sodium, helps to regulate blood pressure. Increasing potassium in the diet may protect against hypertension in people who are sensitive to high levels of sodium.
4.Potassium also affects blood vessel tone as well as the way blood vessels react to the flowing hormones, thus affecting pressure within blood vessels.
5.Potassium therapeutically assists in the treatment of alcoholism, acne, alleviating allergies, promoting the early healing of burns.
6.It also helps with problems such as congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome or kidney stones.
7.Potassium plays a vital role in cellular integrity by regulating the transfer of nutrients into the cell.
8.Potassium also attracts oxygen to tissues, helps correct positioning of vital organs. Potassium deficiency indicates that probably albumin, sugar, sodium, and chlorine are also in short supply or not being properly absorbed.
9.Potassium helps proper functioning of the adrenal glands. It helps support healthy sugar balance in the body.
Deficiency of potassium –
The kidneys excrete excess potassium from the body, and deficiencies are rarely found in people on a normal balanced diet. A deficiency may result in fatigue, cramping legs, muscle weakness, sluggish reflexes, acne, dry skin, mood swings and irregular heartbeat.
A shortage of potassium in body may cause a fatal condition known as hypokalemia, resulting from diarrhoea, increased diuresis and vomiting. Hypokalemia can occur in people with a chronic disease or due to ageing process. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, ECG abnormalities, decreased reflex response, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory paralysis.
If the fluid and electrolyte balance is not restored, the risk of heart failure increases.
Potassium deficiency increases acid levels in the body, lowers the natural pH balance, causes problems with the formation of connective tissue. Kidney diseases (such as acute renal failure),
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