Are You Getting Enough Potassium?

After all the recent talk about salt intake, it may be time to make sure that potassium isn’t neglected.  A short time ago University of Naples, Italy, researchers published a meta-analysis of the relationship between potassium intake and cardiovascular disease.  It’s to be found in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The medical literature from 1966 to 2009 was searched for prospective studies that had baseline potassium intake levels and an assessment of vascular events after a follow-up of at least 4 years.  Eleven such studies were identified.  They encompassed 247,500 individuals with follow-up of 5 to 19 years;  there were 7,000 strokes, 3,000 coronary heart disease events, and a total of 2,500 cardiovascular disease events.  Potassium intake was assessed by dietary recall in 2 studies, food-frequency questionnaires in 6, and 24-hour urinary potassium excretion in 3 studies. 

An analysis of pooled results showed that a 1.64 g per day higher potassium intake – equivalent to about 3 pieces of high-potassium-containing fruit – was associated with a 21% lower risk of stroke.  There was also a trend towards a lower risk of coronary heart disease and total cardiovascular disease, which became statistically significant when one study’s results were omitted.

The researchers conclude that higher dietary potassium is associated with lower rates of stroke, and might also reduce the risk of other cardiovascular problems. The recommended daily intake of potassium is 4.2 grams daily.  An increase in fruit and vegetable consumption should take care of the problem.  Good sources are bananas (the usual recommendation for potassium), cantaloupe, avocado, leafy green veggies, nuts, and milk/dairy.