The short version
- Most adults need about 2,600 mg (women) to 3,400 mg (men) of potassium a day, and most people get less.
- Lentils, beans, potatoes, squash, dried fruit, bananas, milk and yogurt are all good sources.
- Kidney disease and some blood pressure medicines can make potassium build up in the blood.
- Many salt substitutes are made with potassium. Ask your doctor before using one.
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Potassium is a mineral your heart, muscles, nerves and kidneys use all day. Most people eat less than they need, and food is the easiest way to get more. But for some people, more potassium isn’t the right move. Here’s how to tell the difference.
How much potassium do I need?
About 2,600 mg a day for most adult women and 3,400 mg for most adult men.
Those are the NIH’s recommended amounts. Other numbers you might see are the WHO’s suggestion of at least 3,510 mg a day for adults, and the 4,700 mg Daily Value used on food labels.
The NIH notes that most people in the US get less than the recommended amount.
Why does potassium matter for blood pressure?
Low potassium, especially alongside a lot of sodium, is linked with higher blood pressure.
The NIH says people with low potassium intake have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, especially if their diet is high in salt. That’s one reason DASH-style eating leans on foods rich in potassium. A balanced diet with more potassium-rich foods and less sodium may help living well with high blood pressure, for people who are able to eat more potassium.
Which foods are high in potassium?
Lentils, beans, potatoes, squash, dried fruit, bananas, orange juice, milk and yogurt are among the best sources.
Values from the NIH’s potassium fact sheet, based on USDA data.
| Food | Serving | Potassium |
|---|---|---|
| Dried apricots | 1/2 cup | 755 mg |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 731 mg |
| Acorn squash, mashed | 1 cup | 644 mg |
| Prunes | 1/2 cup | 635 mg |
| Raisins | 1/2 cup | 618 mg |
| Potato, baked, flesh only | 1 medium | 610 mg |
| Kidney beans, canned | 1 cup | 607 mg |
| Orange juice | 1 cup | 496 mg |
| Banana | 1 medium | 422 mg |
| Milk, 1% | 1 cup | 366 mg |
| Spinach, raw | 2 cups | 334 mg |
| Salmon, farmed, cooked | 3 oz | 326 mg |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 292 mg |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 6 oz | 240 mg |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1/2 cup | 229 mg |
A banana is famous for potassium, but a cup of lentils or a baked potato has more.
How can I eat more potassium day to day?
Add a fruit or vegetable to every meal, and swap some meat for beans or lentils.
- Breakfast: a banana or berries on oatmeal, with milk or yogurt
- Lunch: lentil or bean soup, or a salad with chickpeas
- Dinner: a baked potato or sweet potato with salmon and greens
- Snacks: a handful of dried apricots, raisins or unsalted nuts
These are the same foods the NHLBI builds the DASH plan around. See DASH-style eating made simple.
Who should be careful with potassium?
People with kidney disease, and people who take certain medicines, including some for blood pressure.
The NIH explains that healthy kidneys clear extra potassium, but chronic kidney disease can make that harder. Some medicines also make the body hold on to potassium. Examples the NIH names include:
- ACE inhibitors, such as benazepril
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), such as losartan
- Potassium-sparing diuretics, such as spironolactone and amiloride
In these cases, potassium can build up even from typical amounts of food. The NIH also lists type 1 diabetes, heart failure, liver disease and adrenal insufficiency as conditions linked with high potassium. Other medicines, like some water pills, can push potassium too low. The right amount for you is a question for your doctor or dietitian.
What about salt substitutes and supplements?
Ask your doctor before using either.
Many salt substitutes are made with potassium chloride. The NIH warns they could make potassium too high if you have kidney disease or take certain medicines. The NIDDK suggests people with kidney disease use herbs and spices instead, and limit foods with potassium chloride on the ingredient list. Even in healthy people, large amounts from supplements or salt substitutes can be too much.
How does Imi help?
Imi only plans extra potassium when you tell it you take no blood pressure medicine.
That’s because some blood pressure medicines raise potassium, so Imi won’t push it otherwise. When it does plan potassium, it aims for 3,500 mg a day, close to the WHO’s suggestion. On the blood pressure focus, sodium is tracked in every meal against 2,300 mg, or 2,000 mg on the steadier pace, and sits at the top of Home. Readings from a monitor that writes to Apple Health sit next to your meals, and Imi never tells you what they mean.
See what Imi plans for blood pressure, or read where the sodium in your week comes from.
Sources (6)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium: fact sheet for consumers
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium: fact sheet for health professionals (Table 2, food sources)
- WHO. Guideline: potassium intake for adults and children, 2012
- FDA. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels
- NIDDK. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
- NHLBI. DASH eating plan
