Potassium and Your Heart
Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body.
It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.
he best way to get enough potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. It's also in dairy products, whole grains, meat, and fish.
Other great sources include:
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Avocados
Fresh fruits (bananas, oranges, and strawberries)
Orange juice
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates)
Spinach
Beans and peas
The Benefits--
Potassium doesn't treat or prevent heart disease. But getting enough potassium can help the heart in several ways:
Better blood pressure. In a study of people with high blood pressure, taking potassium supplements lowered systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- by about 8 points. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods can help cut systolic blood pressure by more than 10 points in people with high blood pressure. You shouldn’t take potassium pills unless your doctor recommends it.
Cholesterol. There's no direct link between potassium and cholesterol. But many diets that lower cholesterol are also high in potassium. So when you get enough potassium, you'll probably eat more fruits and veggies, which are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. This will help your cholesterol levels and lower your chance of developing heart disease.
Heart rhythms problems. Potassium enables your heart to beat. So, if you have heart rhythm problems, potassium may be key. Your doctor can advise you on that. A potassium check might be part of your routine doctor visits.
How Much Do You Need?
How much potassium should you eat? The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 4,700 milligrams per day for healthy people. The easiest way to get this amount is by adding high-potassium fruits and vegetables to your diet.
It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.
he best way to get enough potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. It's also in dairy products, whole grains, meat, and fish.
Other great sources include:
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Avocados
Fresh fruits (bananas, oranges, and strawberries)
Orange juice
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates)
Spinach
Beans and peas
The Benefits--
Potassium doesn't treat or prevent heart disease. But getting enough potassium can help the heart in several ways:
Better blood pressure. In a study of people with high blood pressure, taking potassium supplements lowered systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- by about 8 points. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods can help cut systolic blood pressure by more than 10 points in people with high blood pressure. You shouldn’t take potassium pills unless your doctor recommends it.
Cholesterol. There's no direct link between potassium and cholesterol. But many diets that lower cholesterol are also high in potassium. So when you get enough potassium, you'll probably eat more fruits and veggies, which are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. This will help your cholesterol levels and lower your chance of developing heart disease.
Heart rhythms problems. Potassium enables your heart to beat. So, if you have heart rhythm problems, potassium may be key. Your doctor can advise you on that. A potassium check might be part of your routine doctor visits.
How Much Do You Need?
How much potassium should you eat? The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 4,700 milligrams per day for healthy people. The easiest way to get this amount is by adding high-potassium fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Comments
Post a Comment