First off, to be fair, I very possibly had a potassium deficiency when I was a whatever/whenever eater just as much as I do now on the keto diet. But, now that I’m paying attention to the issue, I have read from multiple sources that 4,700 mg of potassium is the recommended amount. One whole avocado is just over 1,000, meaning I could eat four whole ones in a day and still not meet that quota. In the meantime, my net carbs would be up to 12, meaning over half my daily allowance of carbs spent on avocados alone–and sorry, I like avocados, but not that much. Other foods have potassium in them too, but not nearly as much. Then I find out that you basically can’t buy potassium supplements. Apparently there is some kind of major liability from people torching their kidneys with too much potassium. The ones you find at supplement stores have something like 99 mg doses–not even worth consideration. I did find a bit of a “loophole” in Morton’s Salt Substitute, which has 20 percent of the RDA for potassium per 1/4 teaspoon. Yesterday I turned an avocado into a “potassium bomb” by sprinkling as much of the stuff as I could onto the avocado without ruining its taste (1/4 tsp is more than you think, lol). Today I just straight up crammed a 1/4 tsp of the K salt into my mouth and washed it down with water–it wasn’t that unpleasant. And of course I drink broth. But even that is only a moderate contributor to the K quota (1 serving of the bone broth I have in my kitchen now-- 470 mg. Not bad, but still seems like just a dent in the total)
So, how do all of you work potassium intake into the scheme of your keto eating? Also, if you think my strategy of using the Morton’s K salt is nutritionally off-base or unsafe, please let me know. thanks!
How to get enough potassium (without obsessing over potassium)?
Potassium, clarity on how much?
My husband takes potassium citrate as an MD prescribed as part of his treatment for kidney stones. The prescription one went up to hundreds of dollars for him. So I did a little research and found out how helpful it is for all kinds of medical issues. I found a powdered one at Amazon a lot cheaper and am taking about 1/4 tsp a day for myself with ancient mineral salts. The ketogenic diet makes you lose salt and potassium as you are releasing those with the extra urine you make as your liver releases glucose. (At least that is my understanding). Dr Fung talks about taking salt in during fasting.and I believe from my own experience the potassium helps too. Also I was taking this before I went Keto; just from the benefits I read about. Hope that helps.
@Gale_Dacalio thanks for the response. I do want to be cautious, because nutrition can be a funny thing, so I don’t entirely know that “4,700 mg a day” means “put 4,700 mg in your body by just any old means”- I’ll do more research before quaffing K salt again (also I wonder if measuring out 4,700 - the potassium in whatever foods I’m eating for the day, then putting that in my whole day’s drinking water, might be an option? Ick, gross? maybe, I’m willing to do weird stuff for my health) But when I look at the numbers, I feel like I’m wondering how anybody gets that amount of potassium every day, let alone someone working within the restrictions of keto eating (in this case, mainly the fact that pretty much every food that has the stuff in it also has some incidental carbs)
If you care getting your sodium in you can probably relax A bit on the K… Na helps the body hold on to it. Check out the Salt-fix episode. Lite-Salt, avocado, spinach are my go to for getting my K in though. I try to get about 2000mg on purpose and then hope I get some in my food.
I supplement with Potassium-HP by Biotics Research, and try to keep my Potassium within the serum and intracellular levels. It a necessity for my current heart problems.
thanks- that seems like a relief, 4,700 mg just seems like so much! I’ll try not to sweat it too much (that should probably be my goal in the literal sense as well, lol)
Here we have sodium-light salt, it’s half potassium half sodium. It’s probably way cheaper than supplements. Tastes like shit though.
Canned spinach is loaded with potassium. I like it with lime juice and salt at room temperature.
I have decided to eat an avocado every day. (Yum! ).
I cut in half lenghtwise, remove the core, add a little salt, fill the hole 3/4 with vinegar, and scoop it with a small spoon dipping the avocado in the vinegar with every bite (Yum! Yum!).
The Daily Value (DV) from the food labels implies a requirement of 3,500 mg of potassium per day. I decided to take one over-the-counter 99 mg potassium gluconate pill with every glass or bottle of water that I chug. This pill provides only 3% of the DV but one with every glass or bottle of water throughout the day gives me 12% DV. The spinach, avocado, and 3% potassium pills have been sufficient for me to get rid of cramps that I used to have in the bottom of my feet.
I’ve also been watching/worrying about low potassium intake and take daily supplements of the 99 mg variety and have also started eating spinach to help. Even so, my daily intake is still significantly below the RDA. Am keen to hear of any other solutions, advice, and/or insights into the science/biology regarding potassium.
I listened to a podcast with Dr James DiNicolantonio - when I got from it is that on keto, we will lose potassium only if we are not maintaining sodium levels.
I am at work now, will look for a link with more info when I get home.
I do know I have heard Megan Ramos state in a podcast that IDM does not have people supplement potassium.
I am curious about this topic too. I am going into this with borderline HTN and am on a very low dose of diuretic for it. So I am flushing electrolytes all the time anyway. I am hoping with losing weight I can come off the diuretic and just let my body be my body.
I mentioned this elsewhere, but I drink Bai Antioxidant Cocofusion in Molokai coconut. Its basically like coconut water sweetened with erythritol. One 18 oz bottle has 180 mg, so the whole bottle is 360 mg. I drink about 3 a day so that’s 1000 total. I would say a fifth of what I need from what I am drinking is not bad. (Also, I don’t drink these straight, I don’t refrigerate them and drink them over ice so I am getting a lot of water too. I suggest this method because if you’re not used to sweet, they are pretty sweet tasting without being diluted.)
I re-listened to The Salt Fix podcast this afternoon - I highly recommend it: Episode #71 - The Salt Fix.
Around the 30 minute mark he talks about the mechanism of losing potassium when you aren’t getting enough sodium.
He doesn’t talk about supplementing potassium, even though he reviews other recommended supplements.
The only time I supplement it is a bit of No Salt when I am fasting.
This summer I was on a 5 day motorcycle trip in the very hot midwest. The temps were high to mid 90’s, I rode 400-500 miles a day, and I wear full armored gear - so I sweated a LOT.
I added salt to the water in my camelback and took a magnesium supplement. All I ate was bacon and pemmican, so I was only getting maybe 1000mg of potassium a day. I had no issues with cramping or not feeling well…
I’m also in a pinch over potassium, can’t quite hit the 4700 figure. I watch a Dr Berry on YouTube and they developed a video on ketorade that has a decent taste, has 1/2 tsp potassium and 1/2 tsp sodium, plus apple cider vinegar, stevia, and the best sparkling water which provides a great taste. The ingredients in detail are in a youtube video. I also noticed from logging in my daily food, on my fitness pal that potassium is not listed for certain products and is not a requirement on canned products. Anyway it’s a haste, and a very necessary thing to be concerned about. Thanks
Meat, seafood and vegetables have what I consider to be a decent amount of potassium. Obviously not if your fasting. 6 oz ribeye = 438, 6 oz chicken = 460, 6 oz pork loin = 720 just to name a few.
I think everything has potassium in varying quantities. Cooking techniques will alter the quantity left in the food e.g. draining or cooking out the juices from beef will probably reduce the mineral content but not all of it and personally I like to dip my food in those juices or pour them over it. mmm delicious…now I’m hungry lol
Even if you would try to eat 4 avocados a day, that would not be an optimal amount. 1 avocado a day is ideal, 2 can be fine too. More than that, not optimal.
Maybe you would need to drink the water in which they are cooked to get the lost nutrients.
I wonder if those greens would lose those nutrients sautéed, for example?
Maybe if they were are sautéed in ACV vinegar or fermented I think your body would hold onto the potassium longer rather than excreting the potassium so fast? (just a Dr. Berg like hunch?)