Does Potassium Raise Blood Pressure

Does Twizzlers Black Licorice Contain Glycyrrhizin

“It’s just artificial flavoring. Thus, it contains no glycyrrhizin. Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists, for example, gets its flavor from licorice extract, which is derived from licorice root as well as added natural and artificial flavors, according to Jeff Beckman, a spokesperson for Hershey which produces Twizzlers.

Potassium In The Food Supply And Potassium Intake

Most Americans eat too little potassium and too much sodium. Some good sources of potassium include bananas, oranges and melons, cooked spinach and broccoli, and potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The majority of sodium in our diets comes from packaged and restaurant food as a result of food processing. Even foods that may not taste salty can be major sources of sodium. Foods with only moderate amounts of sodium, such as bread, can be major sources of sodium because theyre eaten so frequently. Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, on average. This is well above the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation.

You can find potassium and sodium content, and percent Daily Values on Nutrition Facts Labels for packaged foods.

Is Licorice Good For Losing Weight

Licorice was able to reduce body fat mass and to suppress aldosterone, without any change in BMI. Since the subjects were consuming the same amount of calories during the study, we suggest that licorice can reduce fat by inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 at the level of fat cells.

Don’t Miss: What To Take For Low Blood Pressure

Hypokalemia Diagnosis And Treatment

If your doctor suspects you have low potassium levels, he or she will first obtain tests of your blood to measure the amount of potassium circulating in your body. Normal blood potassium levels range from 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter of blood. Your doctor also may obtain an ECG for hypokalemia to look for heart .

A serum potassium level below 2.5 mmol/L is a medical emergency because it can lead to and death. The patient will be treated in the hospital with immediate infusions of potassium through an intravenous line, along with potential other treatments to stabilize the heart rhythm.

For low potassium levels that are not considered critical, your doctor may recommend other treatments, including:

• Changing your prescription medicine for high blood pressure, heart failure, or to a drug that helps your body retain more potassium

• Increasing your consumption of potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, sweet potatoes, poultry, and tomatoes

• Potassium supplements, which normally should be taken only on the advice of a physician

• Using table salt substitute products that contain mostly potassium instead of sodium

Is It Possible To Have Too Much Potassium

Too much potassium can be harmful in people with kidney disorders. As kidneys become less able to remove potassium from your blood, too much potassium may build up.

Often, like high blood pressure, there arent many symptoms of high potassium . Feeling sick to your stomach, a low, weak or irregular pulse and fainting may occur with high levels of potassium.

Consult with a health care professional before taking any over-the-counter potassium supplement. You should also ask your doctor before trying salt substitutes, which can raise potassium in people with certain health conditions and those taking ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure.

• Get a fact sheet on following a heart-healthy diet: English | Spanish

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.

Last Reviewed: Oct 31, 2016

You May Like: What Fruit Is Good For Low Blood Pressure

How Does Hyperkalemia Affect The Body

Potassium is a mineral that is crucial for normal cell function in the body, including heart muscle cells. The body gets potassium through foods.

The right level of potassium is key. The kidneys are primarily responsible for maintaining the bodys total potassium content by balancing potassium intake with potassium excretion. If intake of potassium far outweighs the kidneys ability to remove it, or if kidney function decreases, there can be too much potassium and hyperkalemia may occur.

Potassium and sodium concentrations play a crucial role in electric signal functioning of the hearts middle thick muscle layer, known as the myocardium. An above normal level of potassium can interfere with proper electric signals in that muscle layer and lead to different types of heart arrhythmias.

Recommended Reading: How To Calibrate Blood Pressure Monitor Omron

Is The Na: K Ratio More Interesting Than Urinary Sodium Or Potassium Excretion Separately

Similarly, in both the NHANES and the Japanese survey discussed above , the HRs for all-cause mortality, CVDs and ischaemic heart disease were significantly greater with the Na:K ratio than with urinary sodium or potassium excretion taken separately. In the Trial of Hypertension Prevention trial, which investigated the impact of a reduction in salt intake in adults 3054years of age with pre-hypertension, the Na:K ratio was strongly associated with an increased risk of subsequent CVDs .

Thus the Na:K ratio appears to be a better indicator of a high-sodium, low-potassium diet being associated with higher BP and a greater risk of developing hypertension as well as cardiovascular complications, including cardiovascular mortality. The WHO proposes a target Na:K ratio < 1, but a reasonable ratio could be 1.01.2, corresponding to a diet containing 100mmol sodium/day and 90100 mmol potassium/day. In NHANES, the ratio was 1.41 and in Switzerland the average ratio was 2.4 in women and 2.6 in men, thus way above the desirable target. Considering the actual data, wider use of the Na:K ratio in clinical practice should be recommended to easily assess the imbalance between sodium and potassium intake as proposed recently by Iwahori et al. .

Recommended Reading: What Is The Proper Blood Pressure

How Does Potassium Affect High Blood Pressure

The treatment of hypertension involves more than just antihypertensive drugs. In addition to exercise, maintaining an ideal weight, and quitting cigarettes, diet plays an important role in controlling blood pressure.

While most people are aware that too much sodium in the diet can increase blood pressure, many are unaware of how too little of another mineralpotassiumalso contributes.

Which Medications Can Lower Potassium Levels

• Diuretics. Diuretics like , , , and are the main medication-related cause of low potassium levels. These medications are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and lower extremity swelling. Potassium follows water out of your kidneys to your bladder when your make urineso diuretics, which increase urination, may lower your potassium levels.*

• Albuterol., used in asthma inhalers like , , and their generics may lower your potassium levels. Albuterol stimulates your body to release more insulin, which takes potassium out of your bloodstream and puts it into your cells, essentially lowering the amount of potassium circulating in your system. Know that nebulizer treatments lower potassium levels even more than inhalers.

• Insulin.Insulin drugs at high doses may lower potassium levels in the blood by shifting potassium from your bloodstream into your cells.

• Sudafed. is available over the counter as a decongestant. It also pushes potassium out of your bloodstream and into your cells.

• Laxatives and enemas. Laxatives and enemas at high doses can cause a loss of potassium in your stool. Its worse if they cause diarrhea.

• Risperdal and Seroquel. and are antipsychotic medications that may cause hypokalemia, but its a rare complication.

You May Like: Is Claritin Safe For High Blood Pressure

Recommended Reading: White Coat Syndrome Blood Pressure

How Does A High Potassium Level Affect The Heart

A healthy potassium blood level is between 3.5 and 5.0 milliequivalents per liter .

Staying within this range supports electric signaling in the heart. It helps your muscles function properly, including those that control your heartbeat and breathing.

Having too much potassium in your blood is known as hyperkalemia. This condition is more common in people with health conditions, including congestive heart failure.

In fact, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers used to treat cardiovascular disease can cause your kidneys to retain potassium and lead to hyperkalemia.

Untreated high potassium levels in your blood can cause further heart problems. Hyperkalemia can lead to an irregular heartbeat, known as an arrhythmia. It can even result in a heart attack or death if its not diagnosed and treated.

Many people with hyperkalemia notice few if any symptoms. Those who do may have:

• a weak or irregular heartbeat
• abdominal cramps

Keeping your potassium blood levels in check is critical if you have cardiovascular disease.

Keep in mind that a low blood potassium level can cause blood vessels in your heart to stiffen. Low levels have been linked to:

• high blood pressure

Talk to your doctor to ensure youre getting the right amount of potassium in your diet, especially if youre at risk for heart disease.

Read Also: Best Medicine To Lower Blood Pressure

When To See A Doctor

People with symptoms of hypokalemia should see a doctor.

Hypokalemia is more common in people with inflammatory bowel disease and gastrointestinal illnesses that cause severe or persistent diarrhea or vomiting. Certain medications, such as laxatives and diuretics, can also increase the risk of potassium deficiency.

It is important to seek immediate medical attention for symptoms of severe hypokalemia, such as muscle paralysis, breathing problems, or irregular heart rhythms.

You May Like: Can You Reverse High Blood Pressure

What Foods Are High In Potassium

The Food and Nutrition Center of the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day. If this sounds like a lot, dont worry potassium is found in many foods, including:

• Spinach and other leafy greens

Keep in mind that for some people, too much potassium can be harmful rather than helpful. This includes people who are older or have certain kinds of kidney problems. People on dialysis should not eat too many high-potassium foods.

Low Potassium And Blood Vessels

Potassium helps to relax the blood vessel walls which helps lower blood pressure 3. Stiffer more constricted blood vessels makes the heart work harder to pump blood 4.

According to Harvard Health, a number of studies have shown a connection between low potassium levels and increased blood pressure 5.

Many foods in my food list contain potassium. Check out my article here, 35 Foods To Help Reduce Blood Pressure .

Don’t Miss: How Long Does High Blood Pressure Last

How Long Does It Take For Potassium To Lower Blood Pressure

Its important to recognize the effect of potassium is not immediate. Its not like you can eat a banana and thenboomfive minutes later, youre less hypertensive, with lower cardiovascular risk.

And, dietary approaches dont work in all circumstances. If we have someone thats in the emergency room with high blood pressure, were not going to push potassium, explains Dr. Dixon. Its going to be a couple different blood pressure lowering drugs that would be much more effective in that case.

It will take weeks to months to lower blood pressure using potassium. Thats why eating a balanced diet and changing your lifestyle to prioritize heart health over the long haul is important. If you eat properly, youll likely get enough potassium just through your food. The best option is to combine that diet with other actionable steps to maintain healthy blood pressure levels: getting regular exercise, avoiding cigarettes, maintaining a healthy weight, and decreasing sodium intake.

RELATED: How to lower blood pressure quickly and naturally

If were all fortunate enough to live into our late 70s or into the eighth and ninth decade of life, at some point your blood pressure may creep up a little bit and meet that threshold of hypertension, Dr. Dixon says. But theres a lot we can do in our younger years to delay that as much as possible and hopefully prevent it.

Does Potassium Make You Poop More

Potassium is an important electrolyte for proper muscle movement, says Sam. When your potassium is low, the muscles in your colon dont move as much and can lead to constipation. Luckily, the cure is simple: Add more potassium to your diet with foods like potatoes, bananas, mangoes, prunes, raisins, and kiwis.

You May Like: How To Use Digital Blood Pressure Monitor

Are Potassium Supplements Ok

While some people may choose to include certain dietary supplements as part of their daily intake, Dr. Makam notes, Nature trumps man-made stuff. Its always preferable to get these nutrients and vitamins in adequate amounts from natural sources.

Because of the unregulated nature of supplements, he says, its always best to talk to your healthcare provider about ways to improve your intake of certain nutrients and vitamins before buying any supplements.

People Who Should Avoid High Amounts Of Potassium

Dr. Makam notes that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, Angiotensin receptor blockers and Aldosterone antagonists, which are some of the common medications designed to lower blood pressure, already help your body retain potassium. If youre taking one of these medications and include extra potassium on top of that, there are risks of complications.

He also points out that people with kidney disease should also avoid excess potassium. Damaged kidneys cant remove excess potassium from your blood, so the amount can build to dangerous levels, if not monitored correctly.

The key is balance, says Dr. Makam. Your healthcare provider will know your specific health conditions, your current medications and latest blood levels, which will help come up with the right approach for you.

You May Like: How To Treat High Blood Pressure In Teenager

The Low Potassium To Sodium Ratio

The potassium to sodium ratio is a delicate balance needed to help lower blood pressure. The kidneys maintain a healthy balance of salt, water and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, sodium and potassium. Without this healthy balance, the tissues in the body, muscles and nerves may not work efficiently.

The more potassium you consume, the more sodium your body will lose. Consuming too much sodium or not enough potassium throws off the delicate balance the kidneys need to remove the excess water 1.

If too much sodium is consumed, the body will hold onto extra water to help dilute the sodium. This increases the amount of fluid around the cells and the volume of blood. The extra volume of blood makes the heart work harder and increases the pressure on the blood vessels.

Over time, the extra stress can stiffen blood vessels causing another reason for high blood pressure 2.

Should You Take Potassium Supplements

Over-the-counter potassium supplements are not recommended.

In the US, food authorities limit potassium in over-the-counter supplements to just 99 mg. In comparison, a medium banana contains 422 mg of potassium .

This limit is likely low because studies have shown that high-dose potassium supplements may damage the gut or lead to an abnormal heartbeat, which is fatal (27,

That said, its fine to take a higher-dose potassium supplement if your doctor prescribes it.

Summary Its not recommended to take over-the-counter potassium supplements, as they are limited to only 99 mg of potassium. Also, studies have linked them to adverse conditions.

You May Like: Can Aspirin Lower Your Blood Pressure

Potassium Citrate For Dogs

Dog owners may use potassium citrate to help their pup with urinary stones and painful or frequent urination.

One study fed 12 healthy dogs either a standard diet or one with 150mg potassium citrate per kilogram of body weight, twice per day.

The authors found that supplementation had a limited effect, with a slight increase in urine pH of 0.2 units. Either way, if you choose to supplement, they recommend you do so with food, twice per day .

Overall, the research is sparse on this topic despite various pet-friendly potassium citrate products available on the market. Talk with your veterinarian if youre considering using potassium citrate for your pet.

Summary: Potassium citrate can be used to help dogs with urinary issues, though there is limited research to prove this. Talk with your vet for safety and dosing recommendations.

Recommended Reading: Does Claritin D Raise Blood Pressure

The Following Medications May Cause Potassium Levels To Rise

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : People who have poor kidney function and take NSAIDs are at higher risk.

ACE inhibitors: These drugs treat high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, some chronic kidney diseases, migraines, and scleroderma. People who take ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs, potassium-sparing diuretics, or salt substitutes may be particularly vulnerable to hyperkalemia. A rise in potassium from ACE inhibitors may also be more likely in people with poor kidney function and diabetes. ACE inhibitors include:

Beta-blockers: Used to treat high blood pressure, glaucoma, migraines, includes:

• Heparin: used for blood clots
• Cyclosporine: used to suppress the immune system
• Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole: an antibiotic, also called Bactrim or Septra

You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Low Blood Pressure

Potassium Loss From Blood Pressure Drugs May Explain Higher Risk Of Adult Diabetes

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The drugs helpfully accelerate loss of fluids, but also deplete important chemicals, including potassium, so that those who take them are generally advised to eat bananas and other potassium-rich foods to counteract the effect.

Previous studies have told us that when patients take diuretic thiazides, potassium levels drop and the risk of diabetes climbs to 50 percent, says lead researcher Tariq Shafi, M.D., M.H.S., of the Department of Nephrology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Now, for the first time, we think we have concrete information connecting the dots.

Thiazides, such as chlorthalidone, are an inexpensive and highly effective way to treat high blood pressure and have been used widely for decades. However, their association with diabetes has forced many hypertension suffers to use other medications that can be several times as expensive, says Shafi.

This study shows us that as long as physicians monitor and regulate potassium levels, thiazides could be used safely, saving patients thousands of dollars a year, says Shafi. It could be as simple as increasing the consumption of potassium-rich foods like bananas and oranges and/or reducing salt intake, both of which will keep potassium from dropping.