Nutrition & Wellness – Biology 50

For More Potassium and Less Sodium – Eat more Fruits and Veggies

February 24, 2009

A new study published in January’s Issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine is demonstrating that the ratio of sodium to potassium may be more important than the amount of sodium or potassium alone.

Senior author Dr. Paul Whelton from Loyloa University Health System was quoted as saying:

There isn’t as much focus on potassium, but potassium seems to be effective in lowering blood pressure and the combination of a higher intake of potassium and lower consumption of sodium seems to be more effective than either on its own in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Potassium Rich Foods

In general, the more processed a food is, the more sodium and less potassium a food has. The diagram from the textbook Understanding Nutrition shows the differences in how much sodium vs. potassium are in food that has been processed or food that has not been processed.

One way of getting plenty of potassium is to be sure to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Some examples of Potassium Rich foods:

One Banana – 400 mg Potassium

One Potato – 900 mg Potassium

One cup Spinach – 950 mg Potassium

1/2 cup Raisins – 600 mg Potassium

8 ounces (one cup) Orange Juice – 500 mg Potassium

Sources

Sohn E. February 23, 2009. Potassium to sodium ratio affects the heart: Consuming twice as much potassium as sodium might halve your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Los Angeles Times.

DocGuide. January 26, 2009. Low-Sodium, High Potassium is Effective in Lowering Blood Pressure. Loyola University Health System.

Cook NR, Obarzanek E, et. al. 2009. Joint Effects of Sodium Potassium Intake on Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease:The Trials of Hypertension Prevention Follow-up Study. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(1):32-40.

Entry Filed under: Articles, Health, Nutrition, Nutrition News, Wellness. Tags: Cardiovascular disease, Good Potassium Sources, High Blood pressure, Potassium and Sodium ratio, Potassium Food Sources.