Potassium and thought
Very low levels of potassium are dangerous to health, and very high levels can be fatal, so it is very important to maintain healthy concentrations of the mineral. The role of potassium is hard to overestimate: it is vital for heart function, transmission of nerve impulses in the brain, maintenance of water-salt metabolism. Potassium levels are affected by diet, certain medications and supplements, and potassium should be tested periodically, especially if there are kidney or cardiovascular problems.
What is potassium
Potassium is a mineral found in the environment and the human body. Potassium ions carry a positive charge and are integral to the transmission of electrical signals throughout the body. Potassium, along with sodium and chlorine, is one of the most important electrolytes. It is a component of every cell and is necessary for tissue growth and transmission of nerve signals in the brain and peripheral tissues and heart.
Potassium is part of the usual diet such as bananas, leafy greens, and beans, is well absorbed through the small intestine, and circulates actively between plasma, extra- and intracellular fluids.
Role for heart and muscles
Constant potassium is very important for building muscle contractions and regulating heart rhythm, and it plays an important role in energy metabolism, helping the body produce proteins from amino acids and assimilate carbohydrates for energy. Potassium helps the body convert glucose into glycogen, which is then stored in the liver as spare fuel to walk, run, or do whatever it takes to live a full life.
Read more about carbohydrates
Potassium is also involved in the process of generating electrical potentials that help transmit nerve impulses in the brain and the rest of the body. Thus, potassium is directly related to the brain and nerves, the heart, and muscle contractions.
Potassium involvement in the brain
Scientists explain how important potassium is in synaptic signal transmission. Every time a person has a thought, potassium transmits that thought through the brain. Every time a person wants to bend an arm or move, an impulse has to come from the brain through the nerves to the muscles. And potassium is involved in moving the charge all the way to the muscle. When the impulse reaches the muscle, potassium is necessary for the limbs to work. Potassium is literally embedded in this whole process in the body. Through the constant concentration of potassium in biological media, the brain functions actively, the kidneys work, and the heart contracts.
Potassium also maintains appropriate osmotic pressure in cells. This means that they can maintain the correct fluid balance for optimal functioning. By its nature, it is an alkaline ion, and it helps maintain proper pH levels in the body. Potassium is also linked to the pancreatic insulin release, and it is involved in many different processes that are important for maintaining optimal function throughout the body. A diet rich in potassium helps offset some of the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure. But because the kidneys are involved in regulating potassium levels in the body, impaired kidney function caused by kidney damage can negatively affect potassium levels.
Disturbing potassium levels is especially dangerous for the heart. Everyone knows that the heart is a big muscle, and potassium is what regulates its contractions and impulse transmission. The electrical activity that occurs with potassium keeps the heart working.
Impaired potassium levels
Essentially, potassium helps the body maintain the balance that makes life possible. Sodium-potassium metabolism is a finely tuned mechanism. Any influences, whether diarrhea, vomiting, or medications that alter the body’s potassium levels, can lead to serious failures.
Very low potassium levels can significantly harm the body, and too high potassium levels can kill a person. Therefore, it is extremely important to balance the intake of this substance in the body. When there is not enough potassium in the diet, or when it is actively lost with the urine under the influence of medication, a condition called hypokalemia can lead to noticeable symptoms.
These symptoms may include muscle weakness, muscle twitching, and muscle cramps, especially at night. Severe muscle weakness can lead to muscle paralysis. An abnormal or irregular heart rhythm, palpitations or atrial fibrillation, can also be a sign of low potassium levels. And because there are many nerve connections in the brain, potassium deficiency can lead to psychiatric problems such as depression, psychosis, or hallucinations.
Potassium-rich diets
Bananas are often cited as a food for people seeking to add potassium to their diet. But it is not the only food that contains significant levels of this vital nutrient. What makes potassium special is that it is found in many foods. Particularly beneficial are plant-based foods – fruits and vegetables, they contain the highest levels of potassium. These include bananas, oranges, melons, apricots and some dried fruits such as prunes, raisins and dates. Sweet and white potatoes are also a rich source of potassium, along with mushrooms, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, leafy greens and pumpkin.
Potassium can also be found in certain types of fish, such as tuna, halibut and cod. Beans and legumes such as peas, chickpeas and lentils are also rich sources of potassium.
It is worth diversifying your diet with shellfish, meat, poultry, pomegranates, beets, zucchini, spinach, arugula, watermelon, and tomato sauce. Tomatoes themselves are not particularly rich in potassium, but tomato sauce is much more concentrated and has more potassium.
Potassium overdose is possible, but not in healthy people who just eat a lot of potassium-rich foods. If there is too much potassium, urinary excretion is increased.
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