Note: Potassium supplements can be next-to-impossible to find. Seriously, I’ve tried. In three different states. The internet is your friend.
Also note: Potassium is fat-soluble (which means, among other things, your body does a -terrible- job of regulating its intake, unlike most other vitamins which will pass through your digestive system unabsorbed if you already have sufficient levels), and dangerous to overdose on. There are treatments if it’s caught—essentially, rat poison—but they’re not particularly pleasant. Be very careful with the stuff.
I think it’s possible you’re conflating potassium (element symbol K) with vitamin K. Vitamin K and warfarin (rat poison) are antagonists. Potassium (as chloride) is quite soluble in water, is prevalent in blood, and is primarily regulated by the kidneys.
Everything in the second paragraph (except hyperkalemia being dangerous) rings false to me. Potassium ions are water-soluble, vitamin levels are regulated mostly by modulating excretion rather than absorption (pretty sure), and nothing rat-poison-like (warfarin?) is commonly used to treat hyperkalemia.
ETA: Caerbannog has a very plausible hypothesis that you’re confusing vitamin K for potassium. If so you should retract your posts on the topic.
huh?
“for a person with normal kidney function and normal elimination (see above), hyperkalemia by potassium intake would be seen only with large infusions of KCl”
From looking around it seems the RDA is 4800mg and the average person gets about half that from diet. I agree one shouldn’t be supplementing 5 grams a day, but 1-2 grams (~2-4 grams KCL) seems well well within safety tolerance.
For one-time doses, yes, otherwise salmon would be regarded as toxic. For continual dosage, not so much.
The kidneys can excrete potassium. The liver can process alcohol. That’s not to say it’s wise to consume large amounts of either; and long-term potassium exposure has been associated with reduced kidney function (note: the evidence definitely suggests renal failure causes high potassium exposure; AFAIK the reverse causation is largely theoretical at this point). Also note that kidney function can be impaired just by not drinking enough water.
I’m not saying don’t take it. Although 1-2 grams a day is pushing it -well- into the “You should consult a doctor before doing this” category. I’m saying be really careful when you take it. It’s not something somebody should do without research. The issue with supplements is that they don’t replace anything you eat. And when somebody does something silly like eat six pounds of salmon in a day, with your supplement level, they’re at risk of harming themselves.
[Edit: In point of fact, your post reminded me to order some potassium, which I’ve been meaning to do but haven’t gotten around to. I would just prefer a disclaimer on there about being careful with it.]
Everything I see in a quick search on google scholar says that healthy adults excrete extra and there is no established upper limit, this implies the upper limit is far enough away that almost no one ever hits it.
One data point: One banana contains 400+ mg of potassium and no one has had potassium related issues on a 30 bananas a day (12,000mg) diet.
no one has had potassium related issues on a 30 bananas a day (12,000mg) diet.
If I eat 1 banana per day, every day, I will get horrible leg cramps within a week. I really like bananas, so I’ve spent a lot of time testing this, although it’s hardly a double-blind high-sample-size study.
That’s surprising. Muscle cramps are a symptom of hypokalemia (low potassium). Hyperkalemia is usually asymptomatic until you have heart beat irregularities. Also, based on the renal excretion of potassium, I would expect it doesn’t accumulate much, and it would probably reach equilibrium in much less than a week, in a person with normal kidney function.
Can you cite any sources for these concerns? From what I can tell the hypothesis that potassium intake around the RDA will cause renal damage in the long term doesn’t have much evidence to single it out for worry.
I’ve been conflating vitamin K and potassium. (Teach me to go on memory.)
Fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamin K, and apparently unlike potassium) have long-term exposure health risks—they aren’t effectively regulated in the digestive system, and they build up in the body to potentially dangerous levels.
Note: Potassium supplements can be next-to-impossible to find. Seriously, I’ve tried. In three different states. The internet is your friend.
Also note: Potassium is fat-soluble (which means, among other things, your body does a -terrible- job of regulating its intake, unlike most other vitamins which will pass through your digestive system unabsorbed if you already have sufficient levels), and dangerous to overdose on. There are treatments if it’s caught—essentially, rat poison—but they’re not particularly pleasant. Be very careful with the stuff.
I think it’s possible you’re conflating potassium (element symbol K) with vitamin K. Vitamin K and warfarin (rat poison) are antagonists. Potassium (as chloride) is quite soluble in water, is prevalent in blood, and is primarily regulated by the kidneys.
Everything in the second paragraph (except hyperkalemia being dangerous) rings false to me. Potassium ions are water-soluble, vitamin levels are regulated mostly by modulating excretion rather than absorption (pretty sure), and nothing rat-poison-like (warfarin?) is commonly used to treat hyperkalemia.
ETA: Caerbannog has a very plausible hypothesis that you’re confusing vitamin K for potassium. If so you should retract your posts on the topic.
Caerbannog is correct.
huh? “for a person with normal kidney function and normal elimination (see above), hyperkalemia by potassium intake would be seen only with large infusions of KCl”
From looking around it seems the RDA is 4800mg and the average person gets about half that from diet. I agree one shouldn’t be supplementing 5 grams a day, but 1-2 grams (~2-4 grams KCL) seems well well within safety tolerance.
For one-time doses, yes, otherwise salmon would be regarded as toxic. For continual dosage, not so much.
The kidneys can excrete potassium. The liver can process alcohol. That’s not to say it’s wise to consume large amounts of either; and long-term potassium exposure has been associated with reduced kidney function (note: the evidence definitely suggests renal failure causes high potassium exposure; AFAIK the reverse causation is largely theoretical at this point). Also note that kidney function can be impaired just by not drinking enough water.
I’m not saying don’t take it. Although 1-2 grams a day is pushing it -well- into the “You should consult a doctor before doing this” category. I’m saying be really careful when you take it. It’s not something somebody should do without research. The issue with supplements is that they don’t replace anything you eat. And when somebody does something silly like eat six pounds of salmon in a day, with your supplement level, they’re at risk of harming themselves.
[Edit: In point of fact, your post reminded me to order some potassium, which I’ve been meaning to do but haven’t gotten around to. I would just prefer a disclaimer on there about being careful with it.]
Everything I see in a quick search on google scholar says that healthy adults excrete extra and there is no established upper limit, this implies the upper limit is far enough away that almost no one ever hits it.
One data point: One banana contains 400+ mg of potassium and no one has had potassium related issues on a 30 bananas a day (12,000mg) diet.
I’ve been conflating potassium and vitamin K, apparently.
Go me!
at least your caution didn’t go the other way!
If I eat 1 banana per day, every day, I will get horrible leg cramps within a week. I really like bananas, so I’ve spent a lot of time testing this, although it’s hardly a double-blind high-sample-size study.
That’s surprising. Muscle cramps are a symptom of hypokalemia (low potassium). Hyperkalemia is usually asymptomatic until you have heart beat irregularities. Also, based on the renal excretion of potassium, I would expect it doesn’t accumulate much, and it would probably reach equilibrium in much less than a week, in a person with normal kidney function.
To determine whether the problem with bananas is potassium, try other sources, eg, eat a potato every day. or KCl.
Can you cite any sources for these concerns? From what I can tell the hypothesis that potassium intake around the RDA will cause renal damage in the long term doesn’t have much evidence to single it out for worry.
I’ve been conflating vitamin K and potassium. (Teach me to go on memory.)
Fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamin K, and apparently unlike potassium) have long-term exposure health risks—they aren’t effectively regulated in the digestive system, and they build up in the body to potentially dangerous levels.