But Why Do We Need Potassium
Here’s a succinct explanation from Healthline:
Potassium is an important mineral that functions as an electrolyte. It helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle contractions.
And this from MedLine Plus:
Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte. It helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. A diet rich in potassium helps to offset some of sodium’s harmful effects on blood pressure.
Now I’m adding these quotes because, as you know, I’m neither a doctor, dietitian, nor health professional. I’m a long-term low-carber that wants to maintain a good balance and keep my body healthy. If you’re concerned that your diet is too low in potassium AND you’re following a low carb diet, chances are that you’ve found your way here.
How To Get Enough Electrolytes On Keto
How To Get Enough Electrolytes On Keto
Posted 2 years ago
When you dont get enough electrolytes on Keto, your health notices. Were talking about low energy, muscle cramps, brain fog, headaches, weakness, insomnia, and several other symptoms of the infamous Keto flu.
The Keto flu often gets pinned on a bumpy transition to fat-burning, and thats not always wrong. But in many cases, the Keto flu is a case of low electrolytes.
The minerals called electrolytes are important for everyone, but theyre especially important for Keto folks. Why? Because low-carb dieters have multiple forces pushing them towards deficiencies.
Well review those forces in a moment. . First, though, lets cover some basics.
How To Get Keto Sources Of Potassium
On average, a person on the keto diet should consume anywhere between 4,500-4,700mg of potassium daily. It is easier to increase the intake of sodium in case of a deficiency. But you will also need to up the amount of potassium to balance excess sodium.
Here are alternative keto sources of potassium you can opt for to ensure a healthy amount of the electrolyte in your body:
- Leafy greens like spinach or chard
- Fish high in fats like salmon
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Do You Need Mineral Supplementation
The decision to take mineral supplements should be based on whether you experience any of the symptoms described above.9 If you already feel well on a keto diet, you may not need to add any supplements or electrolyte-rich food.10
Bear in mind that if you engage in endurance exercise or any type of rigorous physical activity, you may find it difficult to get enough electrolytes solely from food, and you may choose to take supplements for performance reasons.11
Below, we cover the daily mineral needs for people following a low-carb or keto diet, the best low-carb-friendly food sources, and supplement recommendations for those who cant meet their needs through diet alone.
How Much Potassium Is Needed On A Keto Diet
Most of the people want to know how much potassium they should use on their keto diet. In short, people should use the foods with potassium keto that can complete their daily need for potassium, and it is about 3000 to 4000 mg. Most of the food contains low to average amounts of potassium that there are many low-carb sources that help you to meet your daily need. To get more potassium to your diet, you can take a supplement of potassium. Avocado is one of the best foods with potassium that offers a high-amount of this electrolyte.
- Daily potassium intake for adolescents and adults is 4700 mg per day.
- For children aged one to three years, daily intake should be 3,000 mg per day.
- For children who are four to 8 years old should take 3, 800 per day.
- Children aged nine to thirteen need 4,500 mg per day.
An overdose from normally happening potassium in food is exceedingly uncommon, except if youre on dialysis, experiencing disease medications, or have kidney issues or another ailment. So, you must be careful in the choice of foods with potassium. In the event that you have an excessive amount of potassium in your framework, youll likely experience sickness and heaving. In extreme cases, a lot of potassium can prompt heart failure. It is important to select foods with potassium keto carefully.
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Which Potassium Rich Food Is Your Fave
Stock your pantry with these 10 potassium rich foods and 2 keto-friendly supplements and youll have an easier time hitting your daily potassium intake while staying in ketosis the whole time.
And you dont have to eat the whole list every day. Start with your favorite, then rotate through the others for best results.
On the other hand, wed all like to get all our nutrition from whole foods, but if you take an electrolyte supplement or an exogenous ketone base that binds to potassium, you may be able to knock out your daily intake in one sitting. Perfect if youre pressed for time or traveling!
Spinach And Leafy Greens
Theres a reason spinach is a true nutritional rockstar. Check out the stats for one cooked cup of the green gold:
- 40 calories
- Sodium: 5%
Now were talking.
You get all three electrolytes in a cup of cooked spinach .
Spinach is also ridiculously high in vitamin A and vitamin K, which have been studied for use in preventing cancer, helping your bones stay strong, and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Plus, with close to 90% of your manganese intake, you can also achieve greater antioxidant defense, energy and immune function if you add a daily dose of spinach.
What if spinach isnt up your alley?
One cup of cooked beet greens provides 37% of your DV of potassium, while a cup of Swiss chard provides 27%. Other leafy greens have similar levels.
Try it: Pair any protein with this decadent Creamed Spinach Keto recipe for maximum potassium potential.
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Getting The Most From Your Keto Diet
Whether or not you choose to take mineral supplements is entirely up to you. Everyone may not need them supplementation use is entirely individual.
But if youre still experiencing symptoms of the keto flu, you might be more inclined to try supplements than your keto buddy.
While low electrolyte levels and low glucose lead to keto flu symptoms, there is hope . Sort out the fluid and electrolyte issues by focusing on your hydration, taking in enough electrolytes and fight the low-glucose slump by using exogenous ketones. Exogenous ketones have been shown to rapidly put you in a deep state of ketosis, while helping curb some of the pain of the keto flu while your body transitions into using fat as fuel.
Peak performancewhether at the office or on the fieldis your goal. Never let you diet dictate those results, and make adjustments as necessary to perform your best no matter what.
Tips For Picking A Potassium Supplement
For people that have decided to use a potassium supplement, note that the mineral is usually offered as a potassium salt. Keep in mind that most potassium supplements offer the electrolyte in a range from 80-90mg per serving. However, people that opt for supplements should be mindful that side effects are possible.
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How Do I Increase My Potassium Intake On A Keto Diet
You must complete the need for potassium with the use of the foods with potassium keto. The proportion of carbs, protein and fat are used in the way to offer strength. Ketosis is a metabolic procedure during which the body utilizes ketone bodies for fuel.
Keto diet can decrease epilepsy seizures particularly the individuals who have not reacted to other treatment strategies. More research is essential on how powerful this is however, it appears to have the most impact on youngsters who have problem of seizures. Some of the sigificant foods with potassium are given below.
Prevents And Treat Muscle Cramps
The first sign people usually notice when their bodies are screaming for more potassium is muscle cramping and charley horses.
Thats because these painful cramps are often caused by dehydration and electrolyte and mineral loss.
Your body requires potassium for muscular contractions. So when your diet is high in potassium rich foods, your muscles will not only be less prone to cramping, but will also be stronger.
Replenish your electrolytes post workout and your muscle aches may diminish, too.
Potassium may even help with menstrual cramping and PMS.
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How Do You Get Potassium And Magnesium On Keto
People following a ketogenic diet should concentrate on increasing their sodium, potassium, and magnesium intake to avoid common signs such as headache, muscle cramps, or exhaustion. These dark leafy greens, nuts, avocado, and seeds are all keto-friendly foods that are high in magnesium and potassium. Electrolyte supplements containing sodium and potassium are also available. Creatine monohydrate is a well-researched diet that has been shown to promote muscle growth, improve exercise efficiency, and improve endurance Creotinemonohydratehydratepromotes muscle development, as well as improves exercise endurance and boosts endurance. .
What Is A Keto Diet
Simply put, a ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrate consumption and encourages high fat ingestion. The regimen is based on maintaining ketosis, the metabolic process where the human body burns fat instead of carbs for energy.
Generally, keto dieters need to achieve a macro ratio of 70% fat, 20% protein, and just 10% carb. The experienced ones can even lower their carb consumption to only 5%. This is possible by replacing them with fats.
The Keto diet requires some time for your body to adapt. When you dont receive enough carbs to convert to energy, it will look for another source of fuel. And if you have an abundance of body fat, it will learn to burn fat for energy instead.
Even though this diet is based on a natural process, it still requires you to eat less variety than usual. As a result, you also consume fewer common potassium sources like potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, which are all high in carbs.
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Five Potassium Packed Foods To Try On Keto
Potassium assists with muscle contraction, nerve functioning, and more. Potassium is an important electrolyte that can be found in plenty of tasty foods on the keto diet.
Consuming adequate amounts of potassium can help prevent symptoms of the keto flu, like muscle cramps . Rather than dive right into potassium supplements, you can first try to increase levels of potassium through diet! Here are five potassium-rich keto-friendly foods you should know about!
Why Do We Lose Electrolytes On Keto
Each electrolyte must be kept within a healthy range in order for our bodies to perform at their best, but staying in range can become an issue when you start to follow a ketogenic diet.
Once you start drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, the body begins to process electrolytes differently. On keto, less insulin is released, causing the kidneys to excrete more sodium. As your body begins to lose sodium, this can also impact the balance of other key electrolytes in your body.
This electrolyte imbalance is often linked to symptoms of keto flu. As carb intake decreases, electrolytes are increasingly excreted from the body in urine. The keto flu symptoms can be triggered by imbalances of several electrolytes, but the normal culprits are sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
The keto flu isnt characterized by the same symptoms as the traditional flu, and its not just electrolytes to blame. Lack of carbohydrates in people who are carb dependent can lead to even more nasty symptoms. Not to say this is akin to withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, but the body does experience similarities in terms of withdrawal from something to which it has become accustomed .
The physical and mental dependence on carbohydrates stems from the body habitually relying on glucose as its main energy and fuel source.
When taken away, the body essentially needs to learn how to process fat as a fuel source, and enter a state of ketosis.
Some of the most common keto flu symptoms include:
- Arrhythmia
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How Much Electrolytes Do I Need On A Ketogenic Diet
In this article, we will specifically address the most common electrolytes that those on a keto diet are deficient in, which are magnesium, potassium, and sodium.
In order to make sure you are not depleted of these key electrolytes, those that adhere to a keto diet need to incorporate them in unique ways to prevent electrolyte imbalances that might hinder you from possibly achieving the overall benefits of Ketogenic Diet.
First and foremost, before we dive deep into the impact this diet has on your electrolyte storage, we must be aware of what a ketogenic diet is and what it does specifically to the body.
What Electrolytes Do You Need On A Keto Diet
No matter what diet you are on, your body needs a balanced mix of several different minerals to be healthy. They include:
- Magnesium plays an important role in more than 300 enzymatic systems within your body. Nerve function, energy production, protein synthesis, blood pressure regulation, and blood sugar control can all be affected by a magnesium electrolyte imbalance.
- Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, and vital to much more than bone health. Things like vascular contraction and vasodilation, which affect the flow of blood throughout the body, will be impacted when you have too little calcium . A prolonged calcium deficiency can lead to a number of health issues, including dental problems, cataracts, and osteoporosis.
- Sodium plays a massively important role within the body, influencing fluid levels, blood pressure, and muscle contractions , just to name a few.
- Lastly, you may know potassium best by its presence in food sources like bananas. But you could think of potassium as the yin to sodiums yang. This mineral works in conjunction with sodium on many of the same bodily functions. In fact, increasing potassium can help flush out excess sodium, which is why doctors often recommend hypertension patients up their potassium intake. Potassium also helps prevent or lessen the severity and duration of muscle cramps.
Often, what results is the dreaded keto flu.
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Recommended Daily Potassium Intake
The recommended daily potassium intake for healthy individuals is different depending on age.
- Daily potassium intake for adults and adolescents is 4,700 mg per day.
- For children aged 1 to 3yrs, the recommended daily intake is 3,000 mg per day
- For children aged 4 to 8yrs old, the recommended daily intake is 3,800 mg per day
- For children aged 9 to 13yrs old, the recommended daily intake is 4,500 mg per day
Beware: Always consult your health practitioner before embarking on any supplement regime, particularly if you have any medical conditions and are taking medication.
Double Beware: If you are taking medications for high blood pressure or diuretics you MUST consult your physician as many are potassium-sparing and they can cause dangerously high levels of potassium.
References:
a) Medical and drug Interactions of potassium
b) Daily potassium recommendations
Which Keto Foods Are High In Potassium
So, you are going to plan a Keto diet. It is a good idea for instant weight loss because this eating plan focuses on foods that provide plenty of adequate amounts of protein and healthy fats as well as carbohydrates. Starting a Keto diet is to attain more calories from fat than from carbs. Consider foods with potassium because diet depletes the sugar reserves. As a result, it starts to break down fat for energy. It leads to produce molecules called ketones that the human body uses for fuel. In this way, the body starts burning fats and leads to weight loss. There are different types of foods with potassium keto. Several foods are high in Potassium.
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How To Get Enough Potassium On Keto
Replenishing your electrolytes, especially potassium, is as important as drinking enough water on the keto diet. Most scientists agree that the best way to increase potassium intake is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
On a ketogenic diet, youll want to avoid starchy, high-potassium foods such as bananas, dried fruits, and beans, which are higher in carbs and natural sugars.
Theres still a long list of keto-friendly options that are just as rich in potassium, including leafy greens, fish, and avocado.
Do keep in mind that potassium is water-soluble, so you may lose some of it when cooking.
Why Do You Need Potassium On The Keto Diet
If you are on a keto diet, you are advised to have a well-maintained level of potassium in the body. If your body does not have the suggested amount of potassium, it can compromise lean muscle mass.
It can result in irregular heartbeats, heart palpitations, and respiratory distress. Proper potassium levels in the body can help you perform well.
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How Does The Ketogenic Diet Work
In a regular diet, the body converts the carbohydrates in food into a form of sugar called glucose, also known as blood sugar. In a ketogenic diet, the lack of carbohydrates forces the body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
When the body breaks down fat, it creates molecules called ketones through a process known as ketosis. When the body starts using ketones instead of glucose for energy, that fat-burning state is known as ketosis. So the ultimate goal of the keto diet is to maintain ketosis at all times.
To achieve ketosis, a person can only eat 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day, per Harvard Health Publishing. To put that in perspective, two slices of bread contain about 30 grams of carbs. The daily recommended carb intake for the average adult is 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal, according to the American College of Cardiology.
As you can tell, the keto diet is very restrictive. And because of the lack of diet variety, following it can result in a keto mineral deficiency.