Pharm

Dietary Potassium

search

Dietary Potassium, Foods with High Potassium Content, Potassium Content in Food

  • See Also
  1. Potassium Replacement
  2. DASH Diet
  3. Hypokalemia Approach
  4. Hypokalemia due to Renal Potassium Loss
  5. Hypokalemia due to Extrarenal Potassium Loss
  6. Hypokalemia due to Transcellular Potassium Shift
  7. Familial Periodic Paralysis
  • Indications
  1. Hypokalemia
  2. High Dietary Potassium intake is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes (if no Hyperkalemia risk)
    1. Decreased Blood Pressure in Hypertension (See DASH Diet)
    2. Decreased risk of Cerebrovascular Accident
  • Precautions
  1. Potassium Content in Food is not an exact replacement
  2. Renal disease patients or those with other Hyperkalemia risk factors should avoid high Potassium foods
    1. Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 1-3b (eGFR >30 mg/kg) and Urine Albumin <30 mg/g
      1. May follow a high Potassium diet (unless history of Hyperkalemia)
    2. Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4-5 (eGFR <30 mg/kg) or Urine Albumin >30 mg/g
      1. Limit Dietary Potassium <76 meq/day (<3000 mg/day)
  1. Elemental Potassium (K+): 39 mg/meq
  2. Potassium Chloride (KCl): 75 mg/meq
  3. WHO recommended daily Potassium intake for healthy adults: 90 meq/day (3510 mg/day)
  • Preparations
  • Salt Substitute contains extremely high Potassium
  1. Most salt substitutes (e.g. no-salt) are composed of Potassium chloride (75 mg/meq)
  2. Potassium Chloride Salt-Substitute Products
    1. Nu-Salt
      1. Potassium (mg): 530 mg per 1 g serving (1/6 tsp) or 795 mg per 1/4 tsp (for comparison)
      2. Potassium (meq): 530 mg / 39 mg per K+ meq = 13.6 meq per 1/6 tsp (20.3 meq per 1/4 tsp)
    2. NoSalt
      1. Potassium: 650 mg per 1.3 g serving (1/4 tsp)
      2. Potassium (meq): 650 mg / 39 mg per K+ meq = 16.7 meq per 1/4 tsp serving
    3. Morton's Salt Substitute
      1. Potassium: 610 mg per 1.2 g serving (1/4 tsp)
      2. Potassium (meq): 610 mg / 39 mg per K+ meq = 15.6 meq per 1/4 tsp serving
  • Precautions
  1. Salt substitutes vary widely on Potassium concentration
    1. Morton's Salt Substitute, Nu-Salt or NoSalt contain 16-20 meq K+ per 1/4 tsp (as calculated above)
    2. Mrs. Dash only contains 0.4 meq Potassium per 1/4 tsp
  2. Highly concentrated, Potassium chloride salt substitute can easily be over-dosed (Exercise caution)
    1. At 67 to 82 meq per teaspoon, NoSalt, Nu-Salt or Morton's Salt Substitute can easily exceed safe limits
  • Preparations
  • Potassium content (from USDA, with meq based on 39 mg/meq for elemental Potassium)
  1. See DASH Diet
  2. Acorn Squash (cooked)
    1. Potassium: 448 mg or 11.5 meq per 1/2 cub acorn squash cubes
  3. Almonds
    1. Potassium 200 mg or 5 meq per 1 ounce of almonds
  4. Apricot (dried)
    1. Potassium: 41 mg or 1.1 meq per dried apricot half
  5. Avocado
    1. Potassium: 72 mg or 1.8 meq per tablespoon
  6. Baked potato with skin
    1. Potassium: 926 mg or 24 meq per 1 medium potato
  7. Banana
    1. Potassium 422 mg or 11 meq for one medium banana
    2. Potassium: 60 mg or 1.5 meq per inch of banana
  8. Cooked Black Beans
    1. Potassium 38 mg or 1.0 meq per fluid ounce
  9. Cantaloupe
    1. Potassium: 37 mg or 0.9 meq per melon ball
  10. Chocolate (dark or milk Chocolate)
    1. Potassium: 158 mg/28 g or 4 meq/oz
  11. Dried peaches
    1. Potassium: 129 mg or 3.3 meq per peach half
  12. Medjool Date
    1. Potassium: 167 mg or 4.3 meq per date
  13. Milk (1% Low Fat)
    1. Potassium 351 or 9 meq per 1 cup 1% milk
  14. Molasses
    1. Potassium: 308 mg or 7.9 meq per tbs
  15. Orange Juice
    1. Potassium 372 mg or 9.5 meq per 6 fluid ounces orange juice
    2. Potassium: 62 mg or 1.6 meq per fluid ounce juice
  16. Orange
    1. Potassium: 237 mg or 6 meq per one medium orange
  17. Prune Juice
    1. Potassium 528 mg or 13.5 meq per 6 fluid ounces prune juice
  18. Prunes
    1. Potassium 637 mg or 16 meq for one half cup of prunes
  19. Raisins
    1. Potassium 598 mg or 15.3 meq per 1/2 cup raisins
  20. Raw Fig
    1. Potassium: 116 mg or 3.0 meq per medium fig
  21. Spinach (cooked)
    1. Potassium 420 mg or 10.7 meq per 1/2 cup cooked spinach
  22. Tomato Juice
    1. Potassium 417 mg or 10.7 meq per 6 fluid onces tomato juice
  23. Tomato
    1. Potassium 292 mg or 7.5 meq per 1 medium tomato
  • Preparations
  • Foods with highest Potassium content (>25 meq/3.5 ounces or 1000 mg/serving)
  1. Figs
  2. Molasses
  3. Seaweed
  • Preparations
  • Foods with very high Potassium (>12.5 meq/3.5 ounces or >500 mg/serving)
  1. Dates, prunes, dried apricot, dried peaches
  2. Tree Nuts including avocados, pistachios
  3. Bran ceral, wheat germ
  4. Lima Beans
  5. Baked potatoes
  6. Avocado
  • Preparations
  • Foods with High Potassium Content (>6 meq/3.5 ounces or >250 mg/serving)
  1. Vegetables
    1. Spinach, Tomatoes, Potatotes, Carrots, Beets
    2. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Winter squash
  2. Fruits
    1. Banana (1 meq per inch of banana)
    2. Kiwi fruit, oranges, mangos
    3. Cantaloupe
  3. Other
    1. Dark Chocolate
    2. Oats
  1. Apples
  2. Berries
  3. Carrots
  4. Green Beans
  5. Chicken
  6. Eggs
  7. White bread
  8. White rice
  • Resources
  1. USDA National Nutrient Database
    1. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov
  • References
  1. Gennari (1998) N Engl J Med 339:451-8 [PubMed]