Deficiency/Heart/Longevity

Potassium

Essential mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and fluid balance, mainly for adults with low dietary potassium.

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Overview

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Safety

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Quick Take

Food first: useful if your diet is low in potassium or your blood pressure is salt-sensitive, but supplements need caution.

Potassium is an essential mineral found in potatoes, beans, dairy, fruit, fish, and leafy greens. It is the main positively charged ion inside cells, helping regulate membrane voltage, fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle contraction. Best-supported benefits are correcting low potassium, modestly lowering blood pressure, and—mainly as potassium citrate—reducing calcium stone recurrence. It helps most in adults with low intake, high-sodium diets, or recurrent calcium stones.

Potential benefits

Corrects low potassium levels

Lowers blood pressure

Reduces calcium stone recurrence

Reduces urinary calcium loss

May support bone density

May lower stroke risk

Protocol

Amount

99-300 mg

Frequency

Once or twice daily with meals

When

With meals and a full glass of water; most daily potassium should still come from food.

Onset Time

Days to 1 week for repletion; 2-8 weeks for blood pressure changes.

Who Should Consider

Adults with low fruit, bean, potato, and dairy intake

People with high-sodium diets and mildly elevated blood

Adults with recurrent calcium kidney stones (citrate form)

People on potassium-wasting diuretics only if a clinician

Food Sources

Baked potato with skin (~900 mg each)
White beans (~600 mg per 1/2 cup cooked)
Plain yogurt (~550 mg per 1 cup)
Cooked spinach (~420 mg per 1/2 cup)
Banana (~420 mg each)
Salmon (~450 mg per 100 g)

How It Works

Potassium is the main intracellular cation, so it helps maintain the electrical gradient that lets nerves fire and muscles contract. In the kidneys and blood vessels, higher potassium intake promotes sodium excretion, can relax vascular smooth muscle, and may lower blood pressure. Citrate forms also alkalinize urine and raise urinary citrate, which helps limit calcium stone formation.

Updated 5/19/2026