There are tons of essential nutrients and minerals that upkeep the functioning of our body and help us in leading a healthy life. The deficiency of even a single nutrient can cause some major problems to our body, and that is the sole reason why taking all nutrients in an adequate amount is a must. Today, we will be covering one such essential mineral, potassium and the tons of benefits of potassium that saves us from a plethora of problems. As well as, some foods that rich in potassium and should be added to one’s daily diet.
What Is Potassium & Why Is It Important?
Potassium is a mineral that we take in our bodies through a proper diet because our bodies don’t produce potassium on their own. It is also an electrolyte and thus, holds much importance in conducting electrical impulses in the body. It is always required to be consumed in the right amount, neither too much nor too less, as both these conditions can be harmful.
Benefits Of Potassium
Some of the most widely known benefits of potassium including its ability to process a smooth functioning of our body, along with all these activities:
1. Maintaining Blood Pressure – Having enough potassium in diets help you maintain good blood pressure and it also has a major role in relieving us from stress.
2. Maintains the water balance throughout the body – Deficiency of water is another reason why we have dry skin and other skin and body related issues, but with a good intake of potassium, this problem will be easily solved.
3. Contraction of muscles – Having the right quantity of potassium in the body ensures that we don’t suffer from any muscle paralysis or similar type of problem, it maintains the relaxing and contracting nature of muscles and ensures the proper growth of muscle tissues.
4. Relieve your body – As potassium has a major outlook on the muscles, having the right amount of it will relieve your body from any type of already existing cramps, and you can also prevent it in the future by eating potassium-rich foods.
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5. Digestion – Potassium also helps in the proper digestion of food in your body.
6. Heart Rhythm – A potassium-rich diet ensures that your heart functions properly.
7. Maintaining pH balance – If you’re a regular user of cosmetic products, then you might know that potassium hydroxide is used in lots of them and mainly because it acts as a pH balancer by absorbing the water molecules from the air and hydrating the skin. You can easily go for the natural method instead of the artificial one.
8. Low Blood Sugar Level – It is mainly due to the lack of potassium in the body that many people have a low blood sugar level. Though, it is avoided by enriching a potassium-rich diet and is another one of the great benefits of potassium.
9. Hair fall – Potassium helps in reducing hair fall and also promotes hair growth at the same time. All you’re required to do is minimize your salt intake and add potassium-rich foods to your diet. You’ll see amazing results.
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10. Decrease stroke chances – One of the most common causes of deaths are strokes, the chances of having which are reduced significantly if the consumption of potassium is higher and it is even proved by the Centers for Disease Control in various researches conducted by them, resulting in another one of the benefits of potassium.
Potassium Rich Foods
Here is the list of few food items that’ll help you with better Potassium intake:
1. Fruits like apricots, oranges, bananas, kiwi, pineapples etc.
2. Green leafy vegetables, carrots, potatoes etc.
3. Lean meats
4. Whole grains
5. Beans and nuts
6. Almonds
These are the basic food items that’ll enrich your potassium intake and the benefits of potassium which will be seen with a positive effect. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet to stay fit and keep your body away from all and any kind of diseases, also don’t forget to club your balanced diet with some form of physical activity done on a regular basis.