Come on, 4,700 mg potassium per day?

#1

So there seems to be one side saying 1600-2000 mg per day. Totally reasonable!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/potassium-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/description/drg-20070753

But what I see most often is 4,700 mg per day. This is nearly impossible on a ketogenic diet. If you managed it from veggies alone you would go over in carbs. If you managed it from meat, you would go over in protein. Combining the two might work with some serious planning but I have yet to figure out how.

Supplementing brings the risk of stomach lesions.

So am I crazy to just say I will get 2,000 mg a day and assume the source saying that is enough is correct?

Edit: WHO says that 3,510 is adequate so I think I’ll go with that. 1,190 less than the ludicrous 4,700 and a bit more reasonable.

(Doug) #2

I know nothing of the numbers, but potassium isn’t excreted by the body as are magnesium, sodium and some other elements - much easier to be high on potassium versus most of the rest. My doc told me to cut back…

#3

Interesting! Thanks.

#4

Don’t forget that guidelines are not based on ketogenic metabolisms. Potassium recommendations are based on electrolyte balance when eating non keto diets where more potassium is needed to balance sodium. You have to get what you need.

#5

I’ve posted this elsewhere but since I had a bad experience I’ll repeat it here: you have to be really careful with potassium! I supplemented- not a crazy amount and unfortunately I don’t remember the dose but it was according to some pretty modest recommendations - and by third day I had heart palpitations.
Go slowly and carefully on potassium, folks!

ETA: missing nouns…

#6

Thanks. So the potassium requirements on keto are lower? What are they?

#7

I take a 99mg supplement

(VLC.MD) #8

Nearly impossible on any diet.

(VLC.MD) #9

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Just like people with the highest HDLs are somehow “at risk for heart disease”, despite HDL being touted as good cholesterol … the nine people out of 20,000 that met the targets are probably at risk for lots of problems.

When it comes to biomarkers or food intake … you don’t want to be a 0.1%-er (0.1st percentile)(different than 999/1000 people).

There is an ideal range for everything.

and 4,700 mg of potassium is clearly outside the ideal range.

(Damon Chance) #10

pffft… you just aren’t trying hard enough… Just take 30oz of spinach and cook it down and viola! Only 12 net carbs to. You can do it. (Think of all the butter you can put on that much spinach!)

Yeah 4700mg is hard if you aren’t eating light salt or no salt all the time. I only take potassium when fasting and usually mixed into some ketoaid.

(VLC.MD) #11

That one might be hard for me.

37 cups of coffee.

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#12

Went to the doctor today and they said 2,000 mg per day is fine!!! Woooooo!!! Now that is reasonable, even on keto. I get 1,000 mg from cashews and peanuts alone, then some chicken and pork, maybe some collards and broccoli and before I know it I’m at 2,000 easy.

(Leticia Rocca) #13

Omg! Your doctor said it was OK 2000mg of potassium? I’m freaking out about potassium I have a terrible intolerance to spinach so with other vegetables it was impossible to reach the 4700mg recommended. I track everything in MFP an I hardly ever reach 2800mg. One thing that I eat regularly is 50ml of heavy cream with 20g of pure cacao powder and 1.5g of stevia and mixed all together, delicious. It has a decent 300mg of potassium.
Sorry about my English, not native, still learning.