TIP - 10 for control high blood pressure

Potassium is an important mineral that maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balance in your body. It also promotes normal muscle and nerve function.

Making sure you're getting enough potassium in your diet may help prevent high blood pressure, often known as the silent killer. Nutrition studies show that low daily intakes of dietary potassium, less than 1,560 milligrams, are linked to high blood pressure. In fact, the research shows that potassium-rich foods may even help treat high blood pressure, as potassium has a blood pressure lowering effect.

A diet rich in potassium also seems to help the kidneys excrete more sodium, therefore preventing your blood pressure from rising. Potassium may also have a role in reducing risk of stroke, osteoporosis and kidney stones.

There is not sufficient scientific evidence to set a recommended dietary allowance for potassium.

Instead, an adequate intake (AI) is provided as a daily goal.

For children aged one to three years, it's set at 3,000 mg; four to eight is 3,800 mg; and for nine to 13, it bumps up to 4,500 mg. Teens aged 14 to 18 should aim for 4,700 mg, as should healthy male and female adults. Breastfeeding women need to look at 5,100 mg each day.

Teens sometimes do not meet their AI levels when they don't eat enough fruits and vegetables or protein. Some individuals with specific chronic diseases (those with kidney disease, for example) may need to avoid potassium-rich foods.

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If you eat a well-balanced diet, you should be getting enough potassium. Potassium is found in many foods, especially in fruits and vegetables, milk, yogurt, and legumes (beans and lentils). Potassium supplements are not recommended unless a potassium deficiency is seen based on your blood levels.

An excess of potassium in a supplement form can cause diarrhea, nausea, stomach distress and potentially life threatening levels in the blood.

Common food sources include orange-colored fruits and vegetables such as fresh and dried apricots, cantaloupe, oranges, orange juice, nectarines, peaches, sweet potatoes, butternut and acorn squash.

Other potassium-rich plant foods include edamame, black and kidney beans, artichokes, bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard, potatoes, bananas and kiwi. Fish, meat, milk, soy beverages, poultry and bran cereals are also good sources.

To ensure your daily intake of potassium, you could include at least a banana, one cup of bran cereal, one cup of milk, a yogurt, four dried apricots, a spinach salad with chickpeas, a handful of nuts with a cup of cantaloupe, a small glass of orange juice along with fish, squash and Swiss chard for your evening meal.

High potassium foods

2 cups (500 ml) bran cereal

1¼ cups (300 ml) all purpose flour

1¼ cups (300 ml) whole wheat flour

1 cup (250 ml) raisins

½ cup (125 ml) dried cranberries

½ cup (125 ml) sesame seeds

½ cup (125 ml) ground flax seed

¼ cup (50 ml) wheat germ

2 tsp (10 ml) baking soda

2 eggs

2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk