General Characteristics of Potassium Depletion
Potassium is a naturally occurring mineral found in every human body and in a wide variety of foods. It is one of the essential substances needed to maintain the body's internal balance of fluids and chemicals. A constant internal environment, in which the various chemicals and fluids are in a state of balance, is necessary if the cells are to carry on their vital functions. any marked change in the concentration and content of water and chemicals within the body leads to drastic changes that modify our ability to function normally.
The Role of Potassium
Potassium, like sodium, is necessary to human life. The human body requires about equal amounts of both sodium and potassium. The typical American diet, however, provides much more sodium than needed and about the right amount of potassium, which is found in fruits, vegetables, some meats, dairy products and a variety of other foods. In addition, the increasingly popular salt substitutes usually contain potassium as a sodium substitute.
Because potassium is found in sufficient amounts in the average diet, a true dietary deficiency of potassium is very rare. However, hypokalemia, a deficiency of potassium in the blood, may occur under a number of specific circumstances that are unrelated to diet. Certain drugs, especially some of the diuretics used to treat high blood pressure, frequently lead to potassium reduction.
Signs of potassium deficiency include lethargy, muscular weakness, increased nervous irritability, a feeling of mental disorientation and irregular heartbeats. To prevent serious problems, potassium supplements may be recommended, especially if the deficiency is likely to continue, as might be the case in patients taking certain types of diuretics for high blood pressure.
