Hey all--
this thread was inspired by the slimming pills thread. As part of my slimming pill routine, I've been taking electrolyte drink mixes. As I was reading the back of the box (Alacer Corp.'s ElectroMix. They also make Emergen-C but according to my Health Supplement Guru, ElectroMix has a very effective way of making the body absorb the stuff, better than the other electrolyte products that wholefoods sells) , I was surprised to find that:
"Nearly every living person is deficient in some of the electrolytes, especially is this true of Potassium. Potassium is by far the major element in the cell. Indeed, the healthy cell requires 20 times as much Potassium as Sodium. On the other hand, the daily intake of Sodium is 10 to 38 times the actual requirement. Thus, it is very important to get electrolytes with extra Potassium, which can help to overcome the excess of Sodium in most diets."
doing a quick google, here's some more info:
"How much potassium do you need daily? The National Academy of Sciences says 4,700 milligrams daily is adequate for adults. But men routinely consume only about two-thirds of that, and women get about half, according to a 2004 study cited in a report from the dietary guidelines committee."
Now, me personally, my diet has been overhauled in a couple times in the past year, and while I still love bread and butter, I'm eating loads more veggies and fruits and a lot less meat and restaurant fare.
I just took a look at the veggies I've been eating (I've switched to more canned veggies as opposed to fresh because it's cheaper and easier, though I try to get organic canned as much as possible).
A can of organic corn has 3.5 servings, each serving having 270mg sodium and 160mg Potassium.
A can of organic peas has 3.5 servings, each serving 370 mg sodium, 105 mg potassium.
(as a side note, my dog is on a raw food diet. dogs need electrolytes too. you can even dilute some gatorade with water during the summertime for them-- though if you can find something with less sugar, it's better. The canned veggies that he gets also have a lot of sodium and some potassium.)
so that sucks, sodium is a bane.
However, I noticed the last time I took the slimming pill regimen with the electrolytes, that I was sleeping better and feeling better after work (less soreness.)
here's some random curezone posts about potassium:
avoid potassium chloride. blackstrap molasses has a higher level of potassium to sodium and has a lot of other useful minerals.
^I hate the taste of blackstrap, but it's up to you.
Niacin depletes potassium.
^Niacin is in the hair pills I was taking so keep this in mind.
lack of potassium = cramps and aches
Here is a list of potassium deficiency symptoms:
ymptoms of Hypokalemia:
Hypokalemia ranges from very ornate to severe level. A person suffering from simple/harmless/primary staged hypokalemia may experience no symptoms at all, but general symptoms of hypokalemia are:
- Fatigue
- Patient may experience problems such as Myalgia and muscular weakness
- Patient may experience hyponatremia and also may experience confused i.e. anxiety.
- Acme problem (I think they meant "acne")
- Skin related problems such as blistering, skin eruptions, dryness of skin etc.
- Temporary memory loss or problems such as weak memory etc.
- Patient is prone to heart related problems, such as heart deterioration.
- Digestive system also may get affected due to potassium deficiency leading to hypertension, improper sleep, nervous system deterioration, depression, constipation etc.
- In some cases patient may experience ringing/noise in ear.
Sidenote to LadyJade--- I just ran into this without looking for it:
"Hyperthyroidism, an of the thyroid, the main producing gland, is also known to cause potassium deficiency. It, in turn, may be caused by an imbalance in other minerals similar to potassium such as magnesium, and . There are numerous treatments available for hyperthyroidism, all requiring some level of medical supervision."
here are two interesting articles that also has a list of foods with potassium amounts per serving:
potassium also seems to aid in healing bruises and cuts-- so that's something to keep in mind as a dancer.



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Thanks for posting that!

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