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THE BEAN:
Kidney Empowerment

Kidney Korner: Electrolytes- Potassium

4/20/2023

 
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What is potassium?
According to MedlinePlus, “Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte. It helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells.”

What does potassium affect? 
  • Fluid balance within the cells
  • Nerve function
  • Muscle contraction
  • Heart rate
  • Sodium balance

Hypo- vs. Hyperkalemia
Hypo= low
Hyper= high
-kalemia= the medical suffix for potassium 
Therefore, hypokalemia means low potassium in the blood and hyperkalemia means high potassium in the blood. 

Examples of High Potassium Foods
Leafy Greens (spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, bok choy, beet greens, etc.)
Beans
Potatoes
Broccoli
Avocado
Bananas
Orange
Coconut water
Tomatoes
Yogurt
Chicken
Salmon

How Dr. Munjal Helps:
Potassium levels in the body are handled predominantly by the kidneys. With additional testing, we can determine the cause of the electrolyte abnormalities and work to correct it.  

Munjal’s Musings:
Everything has potassium in it. You can have one serving of high potassium food for two servings of a lower potassium food. You don’t need to cut these foods out completely, but enjoy them in moderation. 

Resources
Medline: Potassium
Harvard: The Nutrition Source- Potassium

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    About The Bean 

    The Bean is a blog on a mission to share valuable information in the world of Nephrology.  We believe in empowering through education and The Bean is a great place to find resources and information on topics related to high blood pressure, kidney disease, dialysis, and topics that enhance the kidney minded lifestyle.    Enjoy and be sure to subscribe!

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Empowering Through Education.

  • Home
  • Your Team
  • How We Help
    • Dialysis
    • Hyperkalemia
    • Hypertension
    • Hyponatremia
    • Kidney Disease
    • Nutrition
    • Proteinuria
    • Remote Patient Monitoring
    • Transplant Managment
    • Community Connections
  • Dialysis
  • Resources
    • Patient Info
    • Book List
  • Online Access
    • Connect Health Tracker
    • Healow App
    • Patient Portal
  • Contact Us
  • The Bean