Potassium Rich Foods - List of Foods High in Potassium

Potatoes, Oranges, Tomatoes, Apricots, Strawberries, Spinach, Iceberg Lettuce, Umeboshi and Mangoes - what is the common link between all these delicious offerings of nature? You guessed it right, all these fruits and vegetables are endowed with an abundance of POTASSIUM, one of the most important micronutrients required by the human body. It serves various functions including firing of neurons, maintenance of heart rhythm to the contraction of muscles. Ergo, including potassium rich foods in your daily diet makes abundant sense, for people who believe in 'Eating to live, rather than living to eat'. There is a rich variety of fruits, vegetables and animal sources of potassium which you may include in your daily diet. In what follows, after making a convincing case for the addition of potassium in your diet, you will find all its prime sources listed below.

The Importance of Potassium
Potassium is a mineral salt (electrolyte), that is essential for maintaining the balance of pH levels in our body fluids. It plays an important role in regulating our blood pressure, bone mass, nervous system, muscle function, heart, kidney, and adrenal functions. Low levels of potassium can cause potassium deficiency and bring on a whole host of health problems.

People with a potassium deficiency are said to be suffering from Hypokalemia. There are a number of causes that can bring on potassium deficiency The usual suspects are a poor or inadequate diet that precludes potassium rich foods, or too many experimental and fad diets. People with diabetes and kidney problems are also likely to suffer from mineral imbalance.

You will know that you are deficient in potassium if you find yourself experiencing an overall weakness and seem to be constantly fatigued. You're also likely to have trouble concentrating on your daily tasks, and may have difficulty with muscular coordination. Potassium deficiency can lead to high blood pressure problems, hypertension, strokes, and heart irregularities. So, if you suspect something of the sort, go see your doctor.

The Importance of Potassium Rich Foods
If you follow a healthy, well-balanced, and plentiful diet of foods high in potassium, it is not likely that you will need to worry about suffering from mineral imbalance. Potassium is naturally found in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products. Meat, poultry and fish foods are high in potassium too, but an entirely carnivorous diet will be detrimental to your health, causing a rise in acid levels and depleting potassium levels.

A number of potassium supplements are available too in the market, and quite a few people include these in their daily regimen. This is not really necessary if, as mentioned, your meals contain enough potassium high foods, and it is best not to go for any kind of potassium supplements without first consulting your doctor. An excess of potassium is equally likely to spell trouble. Unless your doctor gives you the go ahead, you would be better off really just reaching for another cantaloupe slice, another banana, a handful more of strawberries, and adding a pinch of turmeric to many of your cooked meals.

Some people, of course, don't have much choice. Various ailments deem it necessary for them to monitor their potassium intake, and so it is necessary for them to take supplements which inform them about the exact amount of potassium that is daily ingested.

Athletes and other sports people also require potassium supplements. If you exercise rigorously, keep it mind that sweating overmuch brings about mineral imbalance and you should take frequent breaks to refuel depleting potassium levels with electrolyte drinks and energy bars.

While having a fit body is becoming pretty important in our society these days, never, never, never go for starvation diets. There are many ways of getting into shape without ruining your health. Explore those other avenues.

Fruits	Vegetables	Animal Sources
Bananas	Potatoes	Tuna
Oranges	Tomatoes	Halibut
Apricots	Cucumber	Honey
Avocado	Cabbage	Beef
Strawberries	Cauliflower	Chicken
Bell pepper	Chard	Veal
Squash	Eggplant	Red Snapper
Papayas	Crimini Mushrooms	Pollock
Pears	Brussels Sprouts	Sardines
Prune	Turmeric	Salmon
Dates	Parsley	Milk
Raisins	Spinach	Lamb
Cantaloupe	Broccoli	Turkey

Here is a list of some foods high in potassium and their potassium content from the USDA National Nutrient Database:

Potassium Rich Foods	Weight (gm)	Measure	Potassium Content
Bananas	118	1 banana	422 mg
Cantaloupe	160	1 cup	427 mg
Cucumber	301	1 large	442 mg
Fresh Strawberries	12	1 strawberry	18 mg
Honey	21	1 tablespoon	11 mg
Jerusalem Artichokes	150	1 cup	644 mg
Lima Beans	188	1 cup	955 mg
Mangoes	207	1 mango	323 mg
Oat Bran	94	1 cup	532 mg
Papayas	304	1 papaya	781 mg
Pears	275	1 pear	333 mg
Plantains	179	1 medium	893 mg
Raw, baby carrots	10	1 medium	24 mg
Raw Lettuce	10	1 leaf	19 mg
Raw Onions	14	1 slice	20 mg
Raw Garlic	3	1 clove	12 mg
Raw Radishes	4.5	1 radish	10 mg
Raw Peppers	10	1 ring	18 mg
Tomatoes	255	1 cup	528 mg
White Bread	23	1 slice	17 mg

Including a combination of any of the above suggested high potassium foods can help you meet the daily potassium intake requirement of 4.7 gm. My personal favorite combination is bananas, with milk and strawberries for breakfast. Create a balanced diet plan for yourself, according to your taste and nutrient requirement. Eat healthy, stay healthy!