- Tips to lower potassium in foods
- What Are Potassium-Rich Foods
- Amount of potassium that can be consumed per day
- How to Eat Low in Potassium
There are some diseases and situations in which it is necessary to reduce or avoid the consumption of foods rich in potassium, as in the case of diabetes, kidney failure, organ transplantation or changes in the adrenal glands. However, this mineral can be found in many foods, especially in fruits, grains and vegetables.
For this reason, it is important to know which foods have low levels of potassium so that they can be consumed in moderation on a daily basis, and which ones have medium or high levels of this mineral. In addition, there are some strategies that can be applied to reduce the amount of potassium in the food, such as removing the peels, letting it soak or cooking it in plenty of water, for example.
The amount of potassium to be ingested per day must be determined by the nutritionist, as it depends not only on the person's illness, but also on the verified potassium concentration circulating in the blood, which is verified through blood tests.
Tips to lower potassium in foods
To decrease the potassium content of grains, fruits and vegetables, a tip is to peel them and cut them into cubes before they are cooked. Then, they should be soaked for about 2 hours and, when cooking, add plenty of water, but without salt. In addition, the water should be changed and discarded when the gels and vegetables are half cooked, since in this water more than half of the potassium in the food can be found.
Other tips that can be followed are:
- Avoid the use of light or diet salt, as they are composed of 50% sodium chloride and 50% potassium chloride; Decrease the consumption of black tea and mate tea, as they have high potassium content; Avoid the consumption of food Avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages, since large amounts can reduce the amount of potassium excreted in the urine, therefore, there is a greater amount in the blood; Eat only 2 servings of fruit per day, preferably cooked and without peel Avoid cooking vegetables in a pressure cooker, steam or microwave.
It is also important to remember that patients who urinate normally should drink at least 1.5 liters of water to help the kidneys eliminate excess potassium. In the case of patients whose urine is being produced in smaller quantities, fluid consumption should be guided by a nephrologist or nutritionist.
What Are Potassium-Rich Foods
For the control of potassium it is important to know which foods are high, medium and low in potassium, as shown in the following table:
| Foods | High> 250 mg / serving | Moderate 150 to 250 mg / serving | Low <150 mg / serving |
| Vegetables and tubers | Beets (1/2 cup), tomato juice (1 cup), ready-made tomato sauce (1/2 cup), boiled potatoes with peel (1 unit), mashed potatoes (1/2 cup), sweet potatoes (100 g) | Cooked peas (1/4 cup), cooked celery (1/2 cup), zucchini (100 g), cooked brussels sprouts (1/2 cup), cooked chard (45 g), broccoli (100 g) | Green beans (40 g), raw carrots (1/2 unit), eggplant (1/2 cup), lettuce (1 cup), peppers 100 g), cooked spinach (1/2 cup), onion (50 g), cucumber (100 g) |
| Fruits and nuts | Prune (5 units), avocado (1/2 unit), banan (1 unit), melon (1 cup), raisins (1/4 cup), kiwi (1 unit), papaya (1 cup), juice orange (1 cup), pumpkin (1/2 cup), plum juice (1/2 cup), carrot juice (1/2 cup), mango (1 medium unit) | Almonds (20 g), walnuts (30 g), hazelnuts (34 g), cashews (32 g), guava (1 unit), Brazil nuts (35 g), cashew nuts (36 g), dry or fresh coconut (1/4 cup), mora (1/2 cup), pineapple juice (1/2 cup), watermelon (1 cup), peach (1 unit), sliced fresh tomato (1/2 cup), pear (1 unit), grapes (100 g), apple juice (150 mL), cherries (75 g), orange (1 unit, grape juice (1/2 cup) | Pistachio (1/2 cup), strawberries (1/2 cup), pineapple (2 thin slices), apple (1 medium) |
| Grains, seeds and cereals | Pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup), chickpeas (1 cup), white beans (100 g), black beans (1/2 cup), Red beans (1/2 cup), cooked lentils (1/2 cup) | Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup) | Cooked oatmeal (1/2 cup), wheat germ (1 dessert spoon), cooked rice (100 g), cooked pasta (100 g), white bread (30 mg) |
| Others | Seafood, boiled and cooked stew (100 g), yogurt (1 cup), milk (1 cup) | Brewer's yeast (1 dessert spoon), chocolate (30 g), tofu (1/2 cup) | Margarine (1 tablespoon), olive oil (1 tablespoon), cottage cheese (1/2 cup), butter (1 tablespoon) |
Amount of potassium that can be consumed per day
The amount of potassium that can be ingested per day depends on the disease that the person has, and must be established by a clinical nutritionist, however, in general, the amounts according to the disease are:
- Acute renal failure: varies between 1170 - 1950 mg / day, or according to losses; Chronic kidney disease: can vary between 1560 and 2730 mg / day; Hemodialysis: 2340 - 3510 mg / day; Peritoneal dialysis: 2730 - 3900 mg / day; Other diseases: between 1000 and 2000 mg / day.
In a normal diet, about 150 g of meat and 1 glass of milk have about 1063 mg of this mineral. See the amount of potassium in foods.
How to Eat Low in Potassium
Below is an example of a 3-day menu with an approximate amount of 2000 mg of potassium. This menu was calculated without applying the double cooking technique, and it is important to remember the tips previously mentioned to decrease the concentration of potassium present in food.
| Main meals | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Breakfast | 1 cup of coffee with 1/2 cup of milk + 1 slices of white bread and two slices of cheese | 1/2 glass of apple juice + 2 scrambled eggs + 1 slice of toasted bread | 1 cup of coffee with 1/2 cup of milk + 3 toast with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese |
| Morning snack | 1 medium pear | 20 g almonds | 1/2 cup sliced strawberries |
| Lunch | 120 g of salmon + 1 cup of cooked rice + lettuce, tomato and carrot salad + 1 teaspoon of olive oil | 100 g of beef + 1/2 cup of broccoli seasoned with 1 teaspoon of olive oil | 120 g of skinless chicken breast + 1 cup of cooked pasta with 1 tablespoon of natural tomato sauce with oregano |
| Afternoon snack | 2 toast with 2 tablespoons of butter | 2 thin slices of pineapple | 1 packet of maria biscuit |
| Dinner | 120 g of chicken breast cut into strips sautéed with olive oil + 1 cup of vegetables (zucchini, carrots, eggplant and onions) + 50 g of potatoes cut into cubes | Lettuce, tomato and onion salad with 90 g of turkey cut into strips + 1 teaspoon of olive oil | 100 g of salmon + 1/2 cup of asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil + 1 medium boiled potato |
| Total potassium | 1932 mg | 1983 mg | 1881 mg |
The portions of the foods shown in the table above vary according to age, sex, physical activity and whether the person has any associated disease or not, so the ideal is that the nutritionist should be consulted so that a complete assessment can be made and elaborated. a nutritional plan adapted to your needs.
High levels of potassium in the blood can cause heart palpitations, nausea, vomiting and infarction, and should be treated with changes in diet and, when necessary, with the use of medications recommended by the doctor. Understand what can happen if the potassium in your blood is altered.
