95 percent of the population does not take in an adequate amount of potassium

Someone on another thread did not think potassium was a big deal- here is a stat I found and the link to the site where I got the info:

Approximately 95 percent of the population does not take in an adequate amount of potassium. Many of the foods that we consume are processed and fast foods, which are high in sodium. The types of food we tend to eat less of are fruits and vegetables, which are high in potassium. Unfortunately, most adults consume excessive amounts of sodium and not enough potassium. Our bodies require approximately three times as much potassium as calcium to function properly.

Benefits & Function:
Potassium is a mineral that helps muscles contract, maintains fluid balance, sends nerve impulses and releases energy from food. It’s needed to regulate blood pressure, neuromuscular function and maintain healthy levels of acidity. Potassium is also one of the main electrolytes that plays a key chemical role in every function of the body.

Food Sources:
Good sources include fish, potatoes (especially sweet potatoes), tomato paste, beet greens, plain yogurt, prune and carrot juice, avocadoes, dried apricots, bananas, citrus juices, dairy products and whole grains.

A few other important nutrients that tend to be low in the American diet are vitamin C, B6, iodine and dietary fiber. These are also absolutely vital to good health and a long life. A long-term deficiency of any essential nutrient is similar to asking your car to do its job without the proper fuel.

I realize that thinking about all the vitamin deficiencies I have mentioned here can be overwhelming. But don’t lose heart! The truth is, filling these nutritional gaps is much easier than you think. This month simply focus on forming a habit of eating the right types of foods and taking a good whole food multivitamin. In the next two issues, we will discuss some other vital nutrients to help you navigate through the supplemental maze.

Link

Thu. Sep 6, 7:54pm

thats a hard figure to believe. Here is a list of potassium in common foods. I imagine that most of us eat a good deal of foods like this:

Here’s a list of high potassium foods – compare the mg per serving to the 4,700 recommended per day.

Potatoes, baked – 1 medium - 1081 mg
Lima beans – 1 cup – 955 mg
Tomato sauce, canned – 1 cup – 909 mg
Winter squash – 1 cup – 896 mg
Prunes, dried – 1 cup – 828 mg
Spinach, cooked – 1 cup – 839 mg
Bananas, fresh – 1 cup sliced – 594 mg
Yogurt plain, skim – 1 cup – 579 mg
Raisins – 1/2 cup – 545 mg
Beets, cooked – 1 cup – 519 mg
Brussels sprouts, cooked – 1 cup – 504 mg
Orange juice – 1 cup – 496 mg
Cantaloupe – 1 cup – 494 mg
Melon, honeydew – 1 cup – 461 mg
Milk, fat free or skim – 1 cup – 407 mg
Apricots, dried – 10 – 407 mg
Nectarines – 1 medium – 288 mg
Dates, dried – 5 – 271 mg
Figs, dried – 2 – 271 mg
Kiwi, raw – 1 medium – 252 mg
Oranges – 1 medium – 237 mg
Pears, fresh – 1 medium – 208 mg
Peanuts dry roasted, unsalted – 1/4 cup – 187 mg

Thursday, September 6, 2007, 8:06 PM

Not a hard figure to believe at all...from your list I MIGHT eat 1,000mg per day and I eat pretty healthy. How many of these items are you eating a day?

Thursday, September 6, 2007, 9:54 PM

I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, beans and a deal of meat, so I guess I am doing close to the recommended amount. I'll calcuate tommorrow and really see.

Thursday, September 6, 2007, 10:33 PM

I thought the RDA was 3500mg...

Thursday, September 6, 2007, 10:40 PM

omigod!!! enough of the alarmist threads, already!!

Friday, September 7, 2007, 9:15 AM

I keep waiting for the Spam Police to accuse the banana industry of infiltrating this forum :)

Friday, September 7, 2007, 9:54 AM

it's gonna end up being some marketing scam for potassium supplements or the like. i mean, yesterday there's a thread about how many people track their potassium and then there's this thread. potassium is classified as an electrolyte and anyone who gets regular physicals, and that should be most people on this site as it is recommended that those starting an exercise or diet change see their docs first, gets their potassium checked in a regualr, standard renal panel. stop trying to incite alarm and confusion amongst the uninformed. lose the introductory threads that warm us up to the iodea of needing more potassium and get to the f*cking product you are promoting already.

Friday, September 7, 2007, 10:05 AM

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