Functions of Potassium in the Body
- Potassium is important as an alkalizing agent.
- It maintains a proper acid-alkaline balance in the blood and tissues.
- It prevents hyper acidity.
- This mineral is essential for muscle contraction and is, therefore, important for the proper functioning of the heart, especially for maintaining a normal heartbeat.
- It promotes the secretion of hormones and helps the kidneys in detoxification of blood.
- Potassium prevents female hormonal disorders by stimulating the hormone production.
- It is involved in the proper functioning of the nervous system and helps to overcome fatigue.
- It also assists in reducing blood pressure.
Sources of Potassium
Potassium is widely distributed in foods. Pulses such as green gram, cow peas, red gram, and black gram; and vegetables like lotus stems and sword beans are rich in potassium. Other good sources are legumes, leafy vegetables, and fruits such as Stone Apple, sweet limes, peaches, and apricots.
Most people having problems with potassium, are actually related to certain cause which is either suffering from a certain disease such as IBS, or overusing drugs that reduces potassium such as VENTOLINE, AMINOPHYLINE or using drugs which increases the secretion of fluid from the body. In general, you need to balance your intake of potassium to be equivalent to the consumption of it.
In the morning eat 1 banana, a portion of YAM if available, one Tomato. Stop caffeine and Alchohole intake and do not do any exercise if you are experiencing fatigue till you get your body right.
Although I am on drugs to strengthen my heart, my potassium levels are dropping, doctor blames my diuretic, but have never had any potassium levels dropped before. I eat lots of broccoli, baby spinach, cucumber, & small amounts of tomatoes as i have a low tolerance to them. Hope you can help. This is a great site for information, thank you.