Potassium is a simple mineral that is important for the regulation of our heartbeat.  It, along with other electrolytes like sodium and chloride, helps to maintain the proper fluid and electrolyte balance, stimulates muscle contraction, and helps to regulate the acid and base balance in the body.  Each heart muscle needs the right balance of potassium to beat in a coordinated way with all the other heart muscles.  If you have high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias or have had heart failure it is especially important to get enough potassium.

Potassium can easily be found in our food and eating a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables will almost always ensure enough potassium in the body.  The USDA recommends that adults consume 4,700 mg of potassium per day.  Potassium-rich foods include potatoes, tomatoes, avocadoes, bananas, oranges, strawberries, spinach, peas and beans, and nuts and seeds.  Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables will also lead to other benefits such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.   Although the link between hypertension and cholesterol isn’t direct, many diets that lower cholesterol and blood pressure are also high in potassium.  Research has also shown that increasing potassium intake reduces the risk of stroke.