With minerals there is little to play: the integration DIY is never a good idea .
Take potassium, for example: it is found inside cells, it is fundamental for their correct functioning and for the physiological function of nerves and muscles, including the heart muscle, or the heart .
Our body constantly works to maintain constant levels of potassium in the blood, balancing the amount lost - especially through the urine, but also with sweat and during intestinal transit - and that taken with nutrition. If the kidneys are functioning properly, they are able to adjust the amount of potassium eliminated by the body to changes in requirements and to the amount of potassium taken with food. However, when the level of potassium in the blood becomes excessive it can also have serious consequences, ranging from cardiac arrhythmias to even cardiac arrest (the heart stops beating).
The table of foods rich in potassium to avoid in case of excess
Every day we take more or less all the potassium we need - except for specific cases - so the real problem is excess : the daily intake of potassium in Italy is roughly the one of the recommended doses (3 g against about 3.2 g of requirements indicated in the LARN table ).
If potassium-rich foods are to be avoided, the most potassium-rich foods are shown in an example table:
- beans,
- peas
- asparagus,
- potatoes,
- apricots, especially dried ones
- bananas,
- cauliflower,
- spinach,
- peanuts
- in general, fruits, vegetables and fresh meat are rich in potassium
- Dietary supplements of potassium or magnesium and potassium
In general, the intake of potassium with drinking water is modest.
Foods rich in potassium: the dangers
If you have over-consumed drugs, supplements or foods rich in potassium, or if you have developed kidney diseases, you may experience hyperkalemia, or an excess of potassium in the blood, with relative health risks, which often require a drug therapy (calcium and diuretics) as a remedy.
The dangers of a strong excess of potassium are:
- Development of heartbeat abnormalities
- Alterations of the path of the cardiogram
- Cardiac arrest
Massive potassium supplements and potassium- rich foods are to be avoided as they can cause health hazards in the event of:
- retention of mineral salts
- low blood levels of sodium, or calcium, or chlorine
- renal and hepatic failure
- slowing of gastrointestinal transit
The importance of magnesium for the passage of potassium
Magnesium and potassium: a pair of axes. They are the two most abundant minerals in our cells, which always work together: the passage of potassium into and out of cells is guaranteed by a mechanism (ion pump) that works thanks to sodium and magnesium .
We recall in a simple table the beneficial effects of magnesium in these areas and with these functions:
- blood sugar concentration: stimulating insulin production
- arterial pressure : dilating blood vessels
- Cardiovascular activity : supporting the activity of the heart and reducing the probability of formation of atherosclerotic plaques
- irritability, sleep disturbances, mental fatigue : regulates brain activity
- cramps: acting on muscle contractility
Both minerals, magnesium and potassium, are of fundamental importance for cramps, which often occur if there is a lack of one or both of them at the same time, such as in cases of excessive sweating, or renal or intestinal diseases .
