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Your article Beta Blockers Not for Most Hypertension Patients in the February issue recommended that I increase my potassium intake by 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day to help treat high blood pressure, but my multivitamin only includes 99 mg! I am completely confused, what should I do?
Our advice in February was based on an earlier study that analyzed data from different sources indicating that people who eat a diet rich in potassium tend to have a lower risk of stroke.[1] The authors...
Your article Beta Blockers Not for Most Hypertension Patients in the February issue recommended that I increase my potassium intake by 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day to help treat high blood pressure, but my multivitamin only includes 99 mg! I am completely confused, what should I do?
Our advice in February was based on an earlier study that analyzed data from different sources indicating that people who eat a diet rich in potassium tend to have a lower risk of stroke.[1] The authors calculated that people who ate, on average, 1,500 mg more potassium per day were 20 percent less likely to have a stroke. Other research has shown that Americans in general do not come close to reaching the daily amount of potassium recommended by federal dietary guidelines, which is actually 4,700 mg per day for adults.[2] Although potassium dietary supplements are available, we strongly recommend boosting your potassium intake by eating a diet rich in vegetables, low-fat dairy and fish, because these foods provide large amounts of potassium.[3] For example, a single baked potato (with skin), a serving of plain yogurt, or a large (12-ounce) can of tuna each provide about 500 mg or more of dietary potassium.[4]
References
[1] D’Elia, Iannotta C, Sabino P, Ippolito R. Potassium-rich diet and risk of stroke: Updated meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014; 24:585-587.
[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. December 2010.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
