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 benefits also help 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, it may lead to a decrease in some important minerals and nutrients, particularly potassium. It is not recommended to take it without the guidance of a doctor.
WHAT DOES 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 GENERALLY 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, irregular or rapid heartbeat, muscle weakness, depression, confusion, anxiety, insomnia, fragile skeletal structure, bone pain and articulate. , decreased reflexes, constipation, high cholesterol and water retention. Breathing problems, excessive thirst, evidence of protein in the urine, stunted growth, infertility, and headaches are other symptoms of potassium deficiency.
Clearly, if you want the benefits of potassium citrate and are having difficulty getting the mineral in your daily diet, as shown above, then seeking out a potassium citrate supplement becomes very important to your health.
Do you need to supplement with Potassium Citrate?
Let’s look at a few points that may increase your need to reap 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 the loss of body fluids through perspiration. Because of this, there can be a significant loss of this particular mineral.
Women should be aware that they may be susceptible to osteoporosis through calcium loss which may be due to potassium deficiency.
Another factor to keep in mind is that people who suffer from frequent bouts of diarrhea are at increased risk of potassium deficiency. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, then a quality potassium supplement may be of benefit to you in the long run.
Some Western prescription medications can create a possible potassium deficiency, as can a nutritionally poor and unbalanced 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 a person who should consider a potassium citrate supplement to know the benefits of potassium citrate, you should not ignore the consumption of foods rich in potassium. Too many people think that they can cure their nutritional needs and poor diets simply by taking some kind of supplement.
For this reason, we have compiled a list of some foods that you can take for an effective intake of potassium citrate, here is a short list of some foods rich in potassium so that you can avoid a potassium deficiency:
orange juice, bananas, boiled 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 greens, 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 really don’t 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 eat salt products either, because these products often contain higher levels of potassium.
Some symptoms to watch out for from consuming too much potassium in the body include stomach upset and can alter your heartbeat and blood pressure as well.
For those people who take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications, they should stay away from potassium supplements, except if they have been told otherwise by their doctor or if it is okay.
precautions
You need to 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, tell your doctor as well.
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 from potassium citrate side effects or 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 you have black, tarry stools, an unpleasant taste in your mouth, or nervousness, call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room.
In the event of an accidental overdose, you should call your local poison control center or emergency room immediately and follow their instructions. Overdose symptoms include weakness, slowness, 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 medication 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 about the industry-wide problem here. Many health supplements have been found to contain dangerous contaminants, but what concerns us most is that consumers have only a 1 in 5 chance of buying a product that actually contains what is stated on the label.
For the above reasons, we always advise people to purchase nutritional supplements from GMP-compliant pharmaceutical facilities, which adhere to the world’s strictest standards for the manufacture of 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 stated in the product and also to confirm the potency of the 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.