Do you know that potassium (a mineral found in almost all foods) plays a powerful role in maintaining health? Potassium is an electrolyte which helps conduct electrical charges in the body. If potassium levels get too high or too low, the heart and nervous system can shut down. Thankfully foods provide our body with enough potassium to meet our basic needs. The highest source of potassium, in foods, can be found in green leafy vegetables. Diets high in potassium are linked to improved blood pressure control, and therapeutic diets that focus on improving blood pressure control often have increasing potassium from foods as the main source for potassium.
Foods that offer the most potassium are as follows:
- Excellent sources of potassium can be found in bok choy, spinach, and Swiss chard.
- Very good sources of potassium can be found in asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, fennel, kale, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, summer squash, tomatoes, and turnip greens.
- Good sources of potassium can be found in apricots, avocado, banana, cauliflower, chili peppers, cod, collard greens, cucumber, dried peas, eggplant, figs, grapefruit, green beans, green peas, kidney beans, kiwifruit, lentils, lima beans, mustard greens, onions, papaya, parsley, pinto beans, plum, potatoes, raspberries, salmon, scallops, soybeans, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tuna, turmeric, watermelon, and winter squash.
Power up with potassium!