December Results: Potassium

To lower my blood pressure in December, I took potassium supplements three times per week.

I ended my year of experimentation with an average blood pressure of 125/74, with a resting heart rate of 70. This is the lowest rate I’ve achieved so far.

I ended the year in the Elevated stage, according to the American Heart Association recommendations. As you can see in the chart below, I’m now just above the normal range.

Why Potassium?

Potassium enjoys and inverse relationship with sodium in your body. When sodium levels increase, potassium levels decrease, and when sodium levels decline, potassium levels increase.

This relationship is important because both sodium and potassium are electrolytes that maintain the balance of fluid and blood volume. In general, Americans eat too much sodium, which is why Americans in general are deficient in potassium.

When you understand this relationship, it’s easy to see why studies have shown that low levels of potassium in the diet may be just as harmful to your blood pressure as high levels of sodium, especially among African-Americans.

One particularly interesting study from Johns Hopkins discovered a link between diuretics – a commonly prescribed blood pressure reducing medication (and the one I was taking before I started this experiment) – to the loss of potassium in the body.

However, it’s important to talk to your doctor before taking too much potassium as a supplement, as it can be harmful in patients with kidney disease or for those who take certain medications.

If you want to just add potassium to your diet, some potassium-rich foods include fruits such as bananas, citrus fruits and vegetables,