Potassium partially makes up electrolytes that keep your body energized and functioning at full force. The average American only gets about half of the recommended amount of potassium each day. Here are 5 potassium benefits.
5 Potassium Benefits That Help Your Health
1. Helps to Lower Blood Pressure
Potassium is a natural muscle relaxer that helps to reduce muscle cramps and soreness. Along with that, it helps to relax your blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely throughout your body.
As a result, blood pressure can lower and be stabilized if you’re getting enough potassium each day. Additionally, potassium helps to balance out sodium levels and reduce the negative effects of it.
2. Speeds Up Metabolism
As we age, our metabolism slows down. For many, this means slight weight gain and needing to be more careful about our health options (we’re looking at you, men in your 20s.)
Potassium has been shown to help speed up metabolism, helping decrease the amount of fat stored. However, eating a healthy diet and exercising is still required to maintain a healthy weight.
3. Enhanced Brain Function
One of the most important ways potassium helps your health is how it helps with your brain functions. Your brain controls so many processes and is constantly firing neurons that it can get fatigued.
Memory loss, sluggish feelings, and brain fog can be symptoms of a potassium deficiency. Potassium can help resolve these symptoms because it carries more oxygen and blood to the brain.
4. Bone Health
Many people associate calcium as the way to have strong, healthy bones. While calcium does help, potassium aids calcium in the job.
Potassium can increase mineral density in the bones, which strengthens the bones. Additionally, potassium can help neutralize acids that can prevent calcium from being effective strengthening bones.
5. Low Blood Sugar
When blood sugar levels get too low, it can result in sweating, nausea, headaches, and shaking. Getting enough potassium can help to relieve these symptoms and to prevent them from happening again.
People with diabetes should especially keep their potassium levels up because it can keep their blood sugar levels normal and predictable. Keep up energy levels naturally by eating enough potassium.
6. Reduces Risk of Strokes
Strokes occur when blood clots form and inhibit the blood flow to the brain. Potassium, as stated before, helps to keep blood vessels open and promotes a healthy blood flow.
Because blood can flow more easily with adequate potassium, the chance of having a stroke is reduced. Studies have shown that people who have a high risk of having a stroke are usually deficient in potassium.
7. Helps with Muscle Disorders
If you want to reduce the risk of muscle disorders, then potassium is key.
Having a sufficient concentration of potassium is necessary for muscle to relax and experience regular contraction.
Potassium is effective at supporting muscle health because potassium ions are located in the body’s muscle cells.
By stimulating the neural connectivity of muscles and the brain, this mineral offers some great benefits for muscle health.
Some of these benefits include maintaining optimal muscle and nerve function, as well as helping to keep reflexes quick.