Foods high in potassium: We have a complete list for you

Potassium is one of the most important elements in our body. Especially athletes and people with excessive physical activity should make sure that they do not lack potassium. We can of course supplement it with various food supplements, but today we will focus onWe'll focus on foods rich in potassium so that you can replenish enough of it in a purely natural way.

What is potassium and what is its role in our body?

Potassium is an important trace element that has a number of important roles in our bodies. It is one of the most important alkaline elements in our body and is found primarily as part of the intracellular fluid. Like sodium, potassium is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and also in water retention in the body. As a result, it helps to regulate the so-called osmotic pressure. It also takes care of protein synthesis and carbohydrate absorption in our body, and is involved in muscle function. and has a great influence on the proper function of the heart, which is the most important muscle in our body.

Simply put, it makes sure that our body properly builds up sugar stores and converts them into carbohydrates, helps to ensurethat our body doesn't retain water and excretes it in the right amount, and it's also responsible for the proper contraction of muscles and nerve impulses. But it affects even more.

We have now mentioned the essential roles of potassium for our body. But it is also important from a health point of view, because it acts as a natural diuretic, balancing high blood blood pressure, is essential for proper wound healing, especially for tissue regeneration, and helps us reduce allergies. If we have enough potassium in our body, our cardiovascular system will function properly. It is also important for balancing the acids in our body. In our body, potassium is mainly found in the muscles, nerves, brain, and partly in the skin, liver, kidneys and in the intestines and stomach.

What if we are low in potassium?

Potassium in our body, or lack of it, can significantly affect the heart and increase blood pressure. You may have come across young people, especially athletes, who have had a stroke. This was not due to a blood clot, as it tends to happen in older people, but mainly due to a high potassium deficiency. If you suffer from excessive sweating, or have a strenuous job or exerciseand excrete large amounts of sweat, you also need to supplement potassium. Potassium is also excreted in sweat, which results in physical fatigue. Potassium can also be reduced in our bodies when we consume too much alcohol or coffee. In order to maintain a sufficient amount of potassium in our bodies, it is necessary tosufficient magnesium, which "goes hand in hand" with potassium.
When we are deficient in potassium, we may experience muscle cramps, excessive fatigue, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmias, unexpected muscle wasting, decreasedour blood sugar levels, we may not have an appetite, and we may experience intestinal or stomach problems and a decrease in kidney function. So how do we replenish potassium in the body and which foods are rich in potassium?

Foods rich in potassium

If you focus on a healthy diet and a balanced diet and don't have increased physical activity, you should have enough potassium in your body. It is found in most common foods. Yet there are foods that have more potassium. These are good to include in your diet when you are deficient or need to increase the potassium intake in your body.

In our table you can see the foods that have the highest amount of potassium per 100 grams of food. Sometimes this amount corresponds to roughly one fruit - e.g. Other times it corresponds to roughly one cup of food, e.g. peas, beans, spinach, etc. For example, for salmon, 350 mg of potassium is contained in 100 grams of meat. Since we usually consume around 200 grams of meat, we can expect to get up to 700 mg of potassium from one salmon fillet. But let's look at specific foods in more detail, because they are important not only for their potassium content.

Tomato juice

We can get the most potassium by drinking one cup of tomato juice or eating one avocado. Tomato juice (can also be a sauce or puree) is also great because of the amount of vitamins. It contains vitamins A, B and C. Of course, you can also replace tomato juice by eating tomatoes.

Avocados

Avocados are a superfood and should not be missing from any balanced diet. In addition to high amounts of potassium, it also contains vitamins C and K, as well as antioxidants, which are important for eliminating harmful substances from our body. It is also rich in fibre and healthy fats. We usually use avocados for spreads on bread, but few people know that they can also be made into a tasty smoothie.

Spinach leaves

Spinach is also a rich source of potassium. There are roughly 840 mg of potassium in one cup. In addition, it contains other sources of vitamins beneficial to our bodies. Don't cook spinach, but rather add it as a side dish to meat, mix it into a salad, or blend it into a smoothie so that it doesn't lose its freshness.

White beans

White beans and potatoes, even sweet potatoes, contain around 800 mg of potassium. Beans also provide us with a lot of fiber, iron, manganese and magnesium. The latter is also important for the body as it usually works together with potassium.

Potatoes

Potatoes also have other vitamins besides potassium, namely vitamin A, B, C and manganese. However, if you peel potatoes, you lose a lot of potassium because a lot of it is stored in the skin. It is therefore better to boil the potatoes or, better still, bake them in the skin and eat them with the skin on.

Dried fruit

Dried fruit is also a rich source of potassium. Dried apricots, plums, peaches, figs and classic raisins have the most of it. However, be careful with sugar. Some dried fruits are sweetened, and this may not be good for your body.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is also a superfood. No wonder.In addition to high levels of potassium, it also contains fibre and vitamins C and K. It is a major contributor to stress reduction, so if you have, for example, a lot of stress. If you are stressed at work, be sure to include it in your diet several times a week. It will also help to reduce your cortisol levels.

Coconut water

Whether you're on a diet or eating regular food but have a high physical load, a great addition to a varied diet is coconut water. In addition to its high potassium content, it contains electrolytes and has almost no calories. Drink a cup of coconut water first thing in the morning and you're guaranteed a rich source of potassium.

Beetroot

Beetroot is also rich in potassium, as well as other important substances for our body. For example, it has a large amount of antioxidants, thus helping to remove harmful substances. Beetroot can be cooked as a side dish with meat, made into soup, but it is also excellent in smoothies, for example with the aforementioned avocado. The potassium in beetroot contributes significantly to the proper function of the heart and also improves blood flow in the blood vessels. This helps to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Bananas

We have written a lot about bananas in our other articles as they are not just a rich source of potassium. They also contain high levels of antioxidants, vitamin C and manganese. They are one of the most well-known sources of potassium ever, so it's ideal to have one medium-sized banana for a snack, for example. Plus, it can also fill you up well. Bananas have a high energy value. However, if you are on a diet, include bananas in your diet, but don't overdo it and don't consume them at night. Generally speaking, it is best to eat fruit in the morning and then only vegetables in the morning and afternoon.

Peas

Compared to a banana, peas are low in calories, so you can include them in your diet.even if you are dieting and trying to lose weight. In addition to potassium, it also contains polyphenols and antioxidants and should not be missing from any balanced diet.

Salmon and sardines

Fish, especially salmon and sardines, are also among the rich sources of potassium. In the case of sardines, we are referring to one can, which contains about 350 mg of potassium. In addition to potassium, sardines also provide you with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B12 and D, which are important for a properly functioning immune system. We have already explained the amount of potassium in salmon fillets above. It also has other valuable substances besides potassium, including omega 3 fatty acids.

Other foods rich in potassium

Above we have listed foods that are high in potassium. However, there are other foods rich in potassium. Be sure to include watermelon, oranges, grapefruits and apricots in your diet, which again have plenty of other vitamins in addition to potassium. Broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin and other leafy vegetables should not be missed either. Mushrooms are also rich in potassium.
As for fish, you don't have to consume only salmon and sardines, although they contain the most potassium. You can also include halibut, trout, cod and other fish. Dairy products can also add some potassium. So don't forget white yoghurt and milk. Other sources of potassium include lentils, soy beans, rice, bran, and whole grain pasta and baked goods are good as a side dish.
Nuts are also a rich source of potassium, and of course meat is also a good source of potassium in the diet.especially if you have a lot of physical exertion or if you work out and exercise.

Dietary supplements with potassium

Even if you make a varied diet to help you replenish potassium regularly, sometimes you need to reach for supplements, called potassium supplements. Supplements with potassium. Especially if you have the problems we described above, such as muscle crampsmuscle cramps, fatigue, excessive sweating and thus more potassium excretion, etc. But before you go to the pharmacy and buy your first potassium supplement, it's a good idea to find out what form they come in and which ones are best. You can buy a cheap source of potassium that doesn't give your body much of what it needs. The best potassium is in the form of citrate, which our bodies can process very well.You may come across potassium supplements in the form of capsules or tablets that you simply swallow in the morning, but in reality their effectiveness may be lower. In this case, supplements in powder form are preferable. These may not be the tastiest, but they are all the more helpful.
You can find out more about which potassium supplements are best in our article Comparing the best potassium supplements. You'll find out all sorts of interesting things about these supplements, learn whether it's a good idea to take pure potassium or to take aYou can also choose the best one for you from our ranking.