How Does Potassium
Affect Your Health

You may be wondering, "how does potassium affect your health?"  Well, to start with, potassium is one of the body's major minerals and is a member of the electrolyte family. Approximately 95% of the potassium you store in your body is located in the body fluids inside the cells. Potassium's most important role as it affects our health is its ability to control the action of our nerves and muscles.

The heart, one of the body's largest muscles, relies on a steady supply of potassium to keep it beating rhythmically 24/7. It is this mineral that also controls the creation and the storage function of the muscles' main source of fuel, glycogen.  Potassium also assists in the process of converting blood sugar, or glucose, into glycogen.

Scientific tests conducted on people with high blood pressure have revealed that an increase in the amount of potassium has aided them in lowering their blood pressure. Other tests have highlighted the fact that potassium can help relieve pain related to arthritis by removing the pain-causing acids from the affected joints. When these acid levels climb too high, potassium helps neutralize the excess acids inside the body.  Another major benefit of potassium is that it can relieve the pain associated with headaches and migraines.   It also will help keep the bones from losing mass, a condition that leads to osteoporosis.

Without adequate levels of potassium in the body, the lungs would not be able to expel carbon dioxide and the kidneys would not function properly.  One more function of potassium is its major role in controlling the water balance in your body.  This is why one of the symptoms of a potassium deficiency include an unquenchable thirst and inability to urinate. 

The importance of the role potassium plays in the body is evident from the long list of important functions that this key mineral is involved.  The dangers of low potassium in the body can range from minor irritations to life threatening conditions.   So, in answer to the question, "how does potassium affect your health?", the answer seems quite obvious.  It is critical that you provide your body with ample amounts of potassium, through a combination of eating the proper foods (learn the potassium food values) and taking a mineral supplement.  Why take a chance that you are not getting enough of this key mineral - take mineral supplements?