Potassium

What is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral that acts as an electrolyte in the body, carrying nutrients into your cells and wastes out of them. In order to keep your bodily systems working together, your body needs to maintain electrolytes like potassium, sodium and chloride in a careful balance.

Potassium's other role in the body is to help in the metabolism of sugar to glycogen to provide energy for your daily tasks. Glycogen can be stored by the muscles and liver and released when the body calls for it. Thus another of the benefits of potassium is in helping your body store energy for later use without converting it to fat.

A healthy potassium-to-sodium ratio helps prevent high blood pressure and significantly lessens the risk of stroke. There should be more potassium inside the cells and more sodium outside the cells to allow the body to perform the chemical reactions needed to convert carbohydrates to energy.

Other than these, potassium is also beneficial in our bodies since:

• Potassium also regulates water balance and assists recuperative powers.
• It aids rheumatic or arthritic conditions 
• Crucial for the elimination of wastes. 
• Potassium is a natural pain desensitizer. 
• Potassium helps control convulsions, headaches and migraines, 
• Body builders use a “potassium load” to give their muscles more energy but there is no scientific proof of its effectiveness.
  

Side Effects and Warnings of Potassium

While a seriously low level of potassium is rare, it can happen if you lose large amounts of fluids through diarrhoea, vomiting or sweating. It's most common among people who take diuretics. The symptoms of potassium deficiency are muscle weakness and twitching, paralysis and abnormal heart rhythms.

If you are alcohol dependant or have an eating disorder, you should consult your doctor about potassium supplements. It is also essential to talk to your doctor especially if you are taking other supplements or drugs. This is because some drugs such as steroids, diuretics and penicillin can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb potassium.

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