List of 15 Best Potassium-Rich Foods and Their Benefits
Well, have you ever thought about it whether all you feed in your body is sufficient enough? Is your body happy with the number of vitamins and minerals that it gets in a day? No doubt vitamins and minerals are essential for your body, but along with it, Potassium is another ingredient that adds up to the well-being of your body.
Potassium is essential for the proper functioning of the heart, kidney, brain, and muscle tissues in your body. The actual intake of potassium is from 1600 to 2000 milligrams per day.
Potassium is one of the important vital minerals and electrolytes which helps the transfer of electric signals to your cells and helps in nerve and muscle functioning along with blood pressure. Either by foot or by supplements, you need to make sure your body meets up the required potassium level.
The benefits of maintaining Potassium level
The benefits of consuming potassium-rich foods include maintaining healthy blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, and improving muscle and nerve function. Potassium can also help to reduce the risk of kidney stones and support bone health.
- It boosts your heart’s health and protects it.
- Reduces menstrual cramps.
- Reduces the appearance of cellulite in the body.
- Strengthens your immune.
- Enables better processing of food in the body.
It is important to consume a variety of potassium-rich foods as part of a balanced diet to ensure that you are getting enough of this essential mineral. If you have concerns about your potassium intake, it is best to speak with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
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Best Foods High in Potassium
Potassium is an essential mineral that plays a key role in many bodily functions, including heart health, muscle function, and nerve function. It is important to consume potassium-rich foods as part of a balanced diet. Here are some of the best potassium-rich foods and their benefits:
Avocado is a popular fruit that is high in potassium. It is one of the healthiest fruit that offers vitamins, minerals, and potassium in abundance. It offers a natural amount of monounsaturated fatty acids which also help to reduce the cholesterol level in your body and maintain any heart disease in the future.
On average count, one medium avocado consists of approx. 700 mg of potassium which is a lot healthy in comparison with other fruits. Avocados are also a good source of healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin C.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are nutritious root vegetable that is high in potassium. If you are an all-time curry lover and don’t want to opt out of raw ways of increasing potassium intake in your body, then you should definitely go for sweet potatoes.
They contain almost 448 mg of potassium with a low amount of glycemic index and a high amount of fiber in them. Try them in salads or meal curries, indeed they are truly great and tasty to eat.
Spinach is another green vegetable that is an excellent natural source of potassium and iron in your food. One cup of cooked spinach contains approximately 800mg of potassium and is an excellent source of energy for you. Spinach also boosts your hair’s health and prevents fatigue and anemia.
Eat it raw or cooked, spinach is for sure an excellent source of potassium intake for your body.
Rich in fiber and potassium, bananas are an excellent energy booster and after-workout snack. There are 487 mg of potassium and 121 calories in each banana. Always try eating green bananas than ripe ones. Ripe bananas are high in sugar, which can lead to other health problems in the future.
Green bananas are low in sugar and high in starch, they regulate the sugar levels in your body and improve gut health. Bananas are one of the famous and common food ingredients in increasing your potassium level in the body.
5. White Beans
White beans, which are also known as “Saphed Sam” are a rich source of fiber and folate that helps to improve your digestive and brain health to the maximum. On an average note, a cup of white beans contains a total of 3636 mg of potassium and 673 calories.
Be it a quick evening nap or bedtime meal, you can add up these white beans to your salads and soups to increase the amount of potassium intake in your body.
6. Coconut Water
Living in India, fresh coconut water is not at all a problem to enjoy. You can enjoy it fresh and in abundance as well. It lowers blood sugar levels and keeps diabetics in control. A single glass of coconut water consists of 600 mg of coconut water.
7. Dried Apricots
Apricots are one of the best healthy snacking ingredients and it is one of the best potassium-rich foods. Especially the dried apricots are tasty as well as healthy to eat. They are rich in iron and reduce the chances of diseases such as anemia etc.
A cup of dried apricots contains 1511 mg of potassium and 313 calories, this includes almost 43% of the potassium requirement that your body needs on a daily basis.
8. Beet Greens
Beet Greens are one of the top healthiest food items that consist of potassium, magnesium, and carbohydrates in abundance. Beet greens are also known to strengthen your nails, hair, and immune system effectively. On an average note,
We all always knew how healthy fish oils are, but we never might have driven into the fact of how much potassium a single slice of fish contains. A single slice of salmon alone holds 970 mg of potassium and 281 calories.
The best way to include salmon in your diet is to take a slice of it in your dinner and wind up your appetite for the day. Along with potassium, salmon is known to improve your hair, vision, and skin texture in the long run. Along with such benefits, it also fights inflammation in your body and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Prunes are another ingredient that is full of potassium content and iron in them. They contain 1274 mg of potassium. Loaded with Vitamin A, prunes boost your vision and strengthen your immunity to the maximum.
They also protect eyes from cataracts and dry eyes. Consume it in the form of smoothies or in your daily salads, they are tasty and extremely beneficial for your health.
11. Carrot Juice
Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A and other powerful antioxidants such as carotene, lutein, and other amazing antioxidants. They help fight cancer and boost your eye vision in the long run. One cup of carrot consists of 689 mg of potassium out of which 20% is needed as your daily potassium requirement.
Pomegranate is rich in flavor, taste, and nutritional value as well. They contain total potassium of 666 mg of potassium and 234 calories on an average note. On top of their excellent nutritional benefits, this fruit has the ability to fight off inflammation, arthritis, and other conditions as well.
Eat pomegranate along with the seeds or try to add them as a flavoring ingredient in a cup of Greek yogurt. You’ll for sure love this s your afternoon snack or quick go-to breakfast.
On an honest note, fresh cream, and yogurt do have some extra calories in them, but at the same time, they are also extremely beneficial for your health. A yogurt container of 227 g contains 352 mg of potassium and 138 calories approximately. With a high rate of potassium and calcium, yogurt also helps in the prevention of osteoporosis conditions. Add a cup of yogurt to your afternoon meals or evening snack along with some fruits.
With water content and potassium, Watermelon is an extremely healthy and tasty fruit to incorporate into your diet. The fruit has essential vital vitamins and minerals that protect your body from heart diseases.
15. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable also known as, silverbeet. These leafy vegetables are full of nutritious value and potassium on a total count. A research study mentions that these vegetables consist of potassium more than the bananas in them.
One cup of cooked Swiss chard provides 961 mg of potassium. On a bonus note, these leafy veggies are low in calories and high in fiber. You can add them as a base to your salads along with some steamed vegetables and healthy seasoning. They are tasty and healthy as well.
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Always make sure that you include these basic potassium food items in your diet. Potassium deficiency might result in you in a situation called hypokalemia. In this case, your blood serum potassium levels go below normal which should be between 3.6 and 5.2. You might not know this but a potassium level low than 2.5 can be life-threatening.
The following are the minor symptoms of potassium deficiency:
- Muscle cramps
- Intestinal paralysis, which might lead to abdominal pain
- Bloating or abdominal cramping
- Nausea or vomiting
- Feeling thirsty much of the time
- Depression or confusion
- Abnormal heartbeats and many others.
If you feel many of these symptoms in your body, do consult the doctor as soon as possible. Never take the deficiency of any nutrition lightly. It may affect your life seriously.
Always includes any of these foods in your daily intake and avoid the deficiency of Potassium. These are the best potassium-rich foods that you can take. Do keep in mind your allergies before including anything in your diet.
Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy. 🙂