The nutritional benefits of potassium citrate

Potassium citrate is a macromineral/salt that can be found in many foods. The mineral helps reduce the acidity of urine. It is often used in the treatment of kidney diseases and gout. It works by helping to transmit nerve impulses, improving muscle function, and treating various metabolic disorders.

Potassium citrate also helps with muscle contractions such as cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscles. The mineral helps produce energy and the production of nucleic acids. Potassium citrate is believed to maintain healthy cells and normal blood pressure.

Potassium citrate is usually taken along with diuretics. The reason for this is that as excess water is excreted from the body, there may be a decrease in some important minerals and nutrients, particularly potassium, with it. It is not recommended to take it without the guidance of a doctor.

WHAT DOES THE MINERAL POTASSIUM CITRATE DO?

Potassium citrate is responsible for regulating the water content within the human body, as well as helping with the support of effective nerve transmissions, regulating the electrical impulses of the heart, thus regulating blood pressure, and is also very important, if not, critical factor in the use of carbohydrates and proteins by the body.

HOW MUCH POTASSIUM DO WE USUALLY NEED?

For daily intake, men and women need at least 4.7 grams of potassium, or 2,000-4,000 mg. Women between the ages of 31 and 50 in the United States and the United Kingdom consume less than 50 percent of the daily amount of potassium needed to maintain optimal health.
Men in the United States consume slightly higher levels of potassium. Most American diets contain between 1,500 and 5,000 mg of potassium per day. This is well below the recommended daily intake.

Potassium deficiency symptoms

Some of the potassium symptoms to watch out for are: tiredness, high and low blood pressure, acne, dry eyes, irritability, fast or irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, depression, confusion, anxiety, insomnia, fragile skeletal structure, bone pain and articulate. , diminished reflexes, constipation, high cholesterol and water retention. Respiratory problems, excessive thirst, evidence of protein in the urine, less than adequate growth, infertility, and headaches are other symptoms of potassium deficiency.

Clearly, if you want the benefits of potassium citrate and have difficulty obtaining the mineral in your daily diet, as shown above, then looking into a potassium citrate supplement becomes very important to your health.

Do you need to supplement with Potassium Citrate?

Let’s look at some points that may increase your need to get the benefits of a potassium citrate supplement.

In general, people may be at increased risk of potassium deficiency if they exercise excessively, this is due to loss of body fluids through perspiration. Due to this, there can be a significant loss of this particular mineral.

Women should be aware that they may be susceptible to osteoporosis through a loss of calcium that may be due to a potassium deficiency.

Another factor to keep in mind is that people who suffer frequent bouts of diarrhea are at higher risk of potassium deficiency. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, then a quality potassium supplement may be beneficial to you in the long run.

Some Western prescription drugs can create a potential potassium deficiency, as can a poor nutritionally balanced diet, or any activity or condition that results in a large loss of body fluids.

Potassium Rich Foods For Potassium Citrate Benefits

Although you might be someone who should consider a potassium citrate supplement to learn about the benefits of potassium citrate, you should not ignore eating potassium-rich foods. Too many people think they can cure their nutritional needs and bad diets simply by taking some form of supplement.

For this reason, we have compiled a list of some foods you can take for effective potassium citrate intake, here is a short list of some potassium-rich foods so you can avoid a potassium deficiency:

Orange juice, bananas, boiled Swiss chard, raw mushrooms, fennel (bulb), romaine lettuce, raw celery, boiled mustard greens, raw cauliflower, raw broccoli, all varieties of summer and winter squash, ripe tomatoes, cooked turnip tops, raw carrots, boiled kale, raw cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, boiled beets, papaya, green beans, yams, fresh kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Potassium citrate overdose?

There are people who don’t really need a potassium citrate supplement.
People with kidney disease or kidney failure should avoid potassium citrate supplements. They could end up doing more harm than good.

Also, those taking potassium-restricting medications should not take potassium citrate supplements unless their doctor has given the go-ahead.

Don’t take salt products either, because these products often contain higher levels of potassium.
Some symptoms to watch out for excessive consumption of potassium in the body include upset stomach and can alter heartbeat and also blood pressure.

For those people who take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs, they should stay away from potassium supplements, unless they have been told otherwise by their doctor or if it is okay.

Precautions

You should take some precautions when taking potassium citrate. Tell your doctor right away if you have kidney problems, heart disease, or Addison’s disease. If you have drug allergies or high blood pressure, also tell your doctor.

Another precaution when taking potassium citrate is not to use salt substitutes or low-salt milk. The reason for this is that these products probably contain potassium. This could cause an accidental excess of potassium and you could suffer the side effects of potassium citrate or an overdose. Follow your doctor’s instructions and take it exactly as prescribed.

Known Side Effects of Taking Potassium Citrate

There are some side effects with the use of potassium citrate. They include upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and/or loose stools. If these become really serious, you should contact your doctor. Somewhat more serious side effects include muscle weakness, mental changes, fast/irregular heartbeat, tingling or numbness in the hands and/or feet. If black and tarry stools, a foul taste in your mouth, or nervousness, call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency center.

In the event of an accidental overdose, you should call your local poison control or emergency center immediately and follow their instructions. Overdose symptoms include weakness, sluggishness, confusion, irregular heartbeat, and possibly fainting. Since the symptoms of an overdose are similar to the symptoms of side effects, seek immediate medical attention. As with anything, do not add anything to your medications or diet without a doctor’s approval. Doing so could very well put your physical health at very serious risk.

Tips for Choosing a Potassium Citrate Supplement

1. Nutritional supplements are largely unregulated in the US, and don’t just take our word for it, you can read an article on the industry-wide problem here. Many health supplements have been found to contain dangerous contaminants, but what worries us most is that consumers only have a 1 in 5 chance of buying a product that actually contains what is listed on the label.

For the above reasons, we always recommend people purchase nutritional supplements from GMP compliant pharmaceutical facilities, which adhere to the world’s most stringent standards for manufacturing dietary supplements. You can be sure that your product will be free of contaminants if you buy from such a place.

Make sure the company you buy your supplements from has a certificate of analysis on file confirming that the active ingredients are as listed on the product and also to confirm the potency of the active ingredients.

2. Make sure your potassium citrate supplement does not contain any fillers or additives (examples include: sugar, starch, gluten, silica (sand!)), or artificial colors or flavors of any kind.