Potassium and Your Health
Potassium is extremely important to our metabolism and good health, and plays an important role in the way our cells and organs work and the transfer of electrolytes between cells. Along with other electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium and calcium, potassium acts as an electrical conductor throughout our body, and without it our heart, for example, could not pump without the electrical activity in the heart muscles. It also enables the peristaltic action that enables the chyme (digesting food) to travel through the gastrointestinal system to take place.
Our Body Needs Potassium
The amount of potassium our body needs is determined by its sodium content: the two must be balanced, and taking too much salt (sodium chloride) can upset that balance unless we take a corresponding increase in potassium in our diet. Taking more potassium might help reduce the loss of calcium that occurs in post-menopausal women, a major cause of osteoporosis. An adequate intake of potassium can help to reduce the chances of heart disease and heart blood pressure, particularly in the overweight. There are many more health benefits associated with ensuring an adequate intake of potassium