Potassium is an important electrolyte mineral, or a mineral that helps conduct electrical impulses in the body.* Its primary function is to regulate the balance of water and minerals throughout the body.* It’s required for normal muscle and nerve function and helps to regulate blood pressure in conjunction with the mineral nutrient sodium.*
In fact, potassium and sodium are a kind of nutrient yin and yang. They need to be in harmonious balance for good health. Even relatively small imbalances, when experienced over time, can have a major impact on cardiovascular, bone, and neuromuscular health. With the prevalence of sodium in Western diets, obtaining adequate levels of potassium from the diet becomes even more important.
Potassium is found in most foods in varying amounts, with green, leafy vegetables being the best natural source. With a healthy diet most of us get adequate levels of potassium since it’s so prevalent in foods, but if your diet doesn’t include a lot of vegetables and/or fruit then you may only be getting the bare minimum of potassium needed for overall health and well-being.*
What are potassium’s benefits?
Potassium is primarily indicated for cardiovascular and kidney health due to its role in the maintenance of normal blood pressure, a key factor in the health and normal function of both the heart and kidneys.* As mentioned above, it’s critically important for a healthy water/mineral balance and normal muscle and nerve function.*