When thinking about foods rich in potassium, the banana always comes to mind, right? And if we had to associate an athlete with this fruit it would be Rafael Nadal, correct? Well pay attention to the post because you are going to learn that potassium is not only essential for athletes, but we must incorporate it into the daily diet so that our body yields 100%.
What is potassium and why do we need it?
We are dealing with a macromineral electrolyte (found in the blood) and which has important functions on the muscle and the nervous system. Its presence is high in our body, since it is the third most abundant mineral in all metabolism .
Potassium is a mineral that is very soluble in water and the body obtains it thanks to some foods that we will detail below.
If it is a fundamental mineral in our body for something, it is thanks to the fact that it performs functions such as regulating water inside and outside the cells or improving communication between the nerves of the muscles.
Other important functions are:
- Basic for the correct growth of the organism.
- It is part of our bones.
- Control our heart level.
- Along with amino acids, it helps in the production of proteins.
- It intervenes in the absorption and decomposition of carbohydrates.
- It helps in the permeability of cell membranes.
- Collaborate in chemical reactions.
- It intervenes in the nervous transmission.
- It participates in muscle contraction and the development of the same.
- Regulates the level of water in our body along with sodium.
What happens if we don't take enough?
Logically, when a fundamental component in our body is absent, problems occur. The potassium shortage is called hypokalemia and can be due to the lack of consumption of food with this mineral, a kidney disorder or taking diuretics and laxatives. Symptoms of hypokalemia are muscle weakness, tachycardia, low blood pressure, thirst, poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, or constipation.
Although there is also the possibility of having an excess of potassium in the body, in that case we would be talking about hyperkalemia . Its cause may be due to kidney failure or taking medications to treat vascular diseases or diuretics.
Foods rich in potassium
The WHO recommends consuming at least 3,510 mg of potassium daily . Starting from 100 gr of each food, these are some of the ones that contain the most potassium:
- Legumes (1,300 mg): chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas.
- Dried fruits (600 mg): walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and chestnuts.
- Leafy green vegetables (550 mg): spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cabbage, and Swiss chard.
- Fruits (300 mg): apricot, banana, fig, kiwi, coconut, grapes, melon, oranges, lemons, nectarine, papaya, watermelon, mandarin, strawberry, raspberry, plum, raisin, pear, peach, and avocado.
- Other vegetables (300 mg): artichoke, carrot, tomato, squash and zucchini.
- Roots (200 mg): beets, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Spices : garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, cumin, turmeric, pepper, oregano, coriander, and parsley.
- Pure chocolate .
- Mushrooms and tofu.
- Fish : hake, swordfish, salmon, cod, trout, sardine, crab and lobster.
- Meats : chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, duck …
