Potassium Deficiency
Recommended Amounts of Potassium
The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.
There is no recommended daily allowance, according to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of National Academies. According to the Mayo Clinic there are normal daily recommended intakes which have been generally defined, and these intakes are as following: age zero to six months male 500 mg per day, age zero to six months female 500 mg per day, age seven months to twelve months male 700 mg per day, age seven months to twelve months female 700 mg per day, age one year to two years male 1,000 mg per day, age one year to two years female 1,000 mg per day, age two years to five years male 1,400 me per day, age two years to five years female 1,400 mg per day, age six years to nine years male 1,600 mg per day, age six years to nine years female 1,600 mg per day, age ten years to nineteen years male 2,000 mg per day, age ten years to nineteen years female 2,000 mg per day, age nineteen or older male 2,000 mg per day, and age nineteen or older female 2,000 mg per day.
Potassium Deficiency
Potassium deficiency or hypokalaemia, refers to when the body doesn’t have sufficient amounts of potassium in the body in order to function. Mild cases of hypokalaemia can go unnoticed because the symptoms are very unremarkable. The most relevant symptom to a person’s health is a slight elevation in a person’s blood pressure. Moderate causes can be linked with symptoms of muscular weakness, myalgia, muscle cramps, and constipation. The most severe cases of hypokalaemia can be lead to flaccid paralysis, hyporeflexia, and tetany.
Potassium has much to do with the health of the central nervous system in the body. The lack of potassium can adversely affect the working of the nervous systems. That is why so many of the symptoms related to hypokalaemia attack the nervous system of the body.
The treatment of hypokalaemia includes the stopping of any condition which leads to a loss of potassium—such as diarrhea, excessive vomiting, urinary tract infections, and other digestive problems in the body. Then adding potassium into the diet through a strong healthy diet or through potassium supplementation; depending on the severity of the symptoms a person has from hypokalaemia.
Potassium Toxicity
Too much potassium in the body can also be very dangerous to a person’s health. Too little potassium in the body is called hypokalaemia, and too much potassium in the body is called hyperkalaemia. Hyperkalaemia is very dangerous, because it can cause complications with a person’s heart. A change in the hearts rhythm is normally only associated with extreme cases of hyperkalaemial; however, most extreme cases do prove to be fatal.
Most of the general symptoms of hyperkalaemia are very similar to those of hypokalaemia. The symptoms are also very similar to many other diseases. It is important for a person to visit their health care professional before starting with a treatment to the symptoms they are experiencing. Hyperkalaemia does have a higher mortality rate in comparison to hypokalaemia, and therefore needs to be treated with more severity if the symptoms manifest themselves.
While hyperkalaemia is very dangerous, it hardly ever occurs due to a person taking ingesting massive amounts of potassium. Normally a person will suffer from too much potassium because of other medical problems. The complications due to a massive blood transfusion are a very common occurrence of hyperkalaemia. As is the condition being caused by a person’s cells releasing too much potassium into the body. This still doesn’t mean a person should disregard the recommended upper tolerance which has been established for potassium. Nor should a person take extreme dosages of potassium or any other vitamin or mineral without being under the supervision of a doctor or other health professional.
How to Get Enough Potassium in a Diet
Potassium is one the essential minerals the body needs in order to function properly. The best way to get the right amount of Potassium in the body is through a proper diet. A healthy low fat diet which includes fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats is usually enough, depending on the health of the individual, to get all of the essential vitamins and minerals the body requires.
Yet, the simple truth is very few people actually eat a full enough diet not to be lacking an essential vitamin and mineral. When the body is lacking an essential vitamin or mineral it will not function properly. The other problem is many of the essential vitamins and minerals, like potassium, cannot be easily stored in the human body. The body needs a constant daily intake of some essential vitamins and minerals.
The best way to ensure the body gets the nutrients it needs is by taking a reputable daily multivitamin. A good daily multivitamin will help to fill in the gaps of a normal healthy diet. The multivitamin will also help to bridge the deficiencies which occur due to changing health issues.
When looking for a good multivitamin look for one which is gender specific. Why? There are two major reasons. First, males and females need different amounts of vitamins and minerals. A gender specific vitamin will be able to give more of the vitamins and minerals which males and females normally struggle to obtain. Second, there are many subpar vitamin manufactures. For the health of the person taking the vitamin it is important to find a manufacture which is reputable. A manufacture with differing vitamins for males and females is a helpful indication of their legitimacy—although it is always recommended to investigate any vitamin company before making a purchase.
