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Usage Notes

• Potassium measured in milligrams and calories are calculated per 100g of food.
• This potassium content of foods database contains approximately 7,000 most common food items.
• Click on column header to sort foods by name or by potassium or calories.
• Pie chart shows relative contributions to total calories from carbohydrate, protein and fat (and alcohol, if exists).

Potassium in Diet

Potassium is a mineral involved in electrical and cellular body functions.

Function of Potassium

Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body. It has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs:

• It assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance.
• It assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism.
• It is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.
• It is essential for the normal electrical activity of the heart.

Potassium Food Sources

Many foods contain potassium. All meats (red meat and chicken) and fish such as salmon, cod, flounder, and sardines are good sources of potassium. Soy products and veggie burgers are also good sources of potassium.
Vegetables including broccoli, peas, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), sweet potatoes, and winter squashes are all good sources of potassium.
Fruits that contain significant sources of potassium include citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bananas, kiwi, prunes, and apricots. Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.
Milk and yogurt, as well as nuts, are also excellent sources of potassium.
People on dialysis for kidney failure should avoid consuming too many of these potassium-rich foods. These people require specialized diets to avoid excess potassium in the blood.

Side Effects of Potassium

Having too much or too little potassium in the body can have very serious consequences.

Because so many foods contain potassium, too little potassium (potassium deficiency) is rarely caused by inadequate diet. However, even a moderate reduction in the body's potassium levels can lead to salt sensitivity and high blood pressure. The recommended dietary intake of 4.7 gm or higher can slightly lower blood pressure.

Hypokalemia

Potassium is needed for cells, especially nerve and muscle cells, to function properly. You get potassium through food. The kidneys remove excess potassium in the urine to keep a proper balance of the mineral in the body. Hypokalemia is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the level of potassium in the blood drops too low.

A deficiency of potassium (hypokalemia) can happen in people with certain diseases or as a result of taking diuretics (water pills) for the treatment of high blood pressure or heart failure. Additionally, many medications -- such as diuretics, laxatives, and steroids -- can cause a loss of potassium, which occasionally may be very severe. You should have your blood levels of potassium checked from time to time if you take any of these medicines. Diuretics are probably the most common cause of hypokalemia.

A variety of conditions can cause potassium loss from the body. The most common are vomiting and diarrhea. Several rare kidney and adrenal gland disorders may also cause low potassium levels.

Hyperkalemia

Too much potassium in the blood is known as hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia occurs when the level of potassium in the bloodstream is higher than normal. This may be related to an increase in total body potassium or the excess release of potassium from the cells into the bloodstream.

The kidneys normally remove excess potassium from the body. Most cases of hyperkalemia are caused by disorders that reduce the kidneys' ability to get rid of potassium.

The hormone aldosterone regulates kidney removal of sodium and potassium. Lack of aldosterone can result in hyperkalemia with an increase in total body potassium. Addison's disease is one disorder that causes reduced aldosterone production.

Any time potassium is released from the cells, it may build up in the fluid outside the cells and in the bloodstream. Acidosis leads to the movement of potassium from inside the cells to the fluid outside the cells. Tissue injury can cause the cells to release potassium.

If the kidney is working properly, and there is enough aldosterone, tissue trauma alone rarely leads to hyperkalemia. A normally functioning kidney will remove the excess potassium that has been released from the cells.

Increased intake of potassium can cause hyperkalemia if kidney function is poor. Salt substitutes often contain potassium, as do many "low-salt" packaged foods.

Our Potassium-Related Online Databases

See our most complete directory of Potassium-Related Online Databases with nutrient databases from the US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.

Potassium Rich Foods

List of the 100 foods richest in potassium. Potassium values are in milligrams per 100 grams of food weight.

Food Name

Potassium

Leavening agents, cream of tartar

16500

Leavening agents, baking powder, low-sodium

10100

Parsley, freeze-dried

6300

Tea, instant, unsweetened, powder

6040

Tea, instant, unsweetened, powder, decaffeinated

6040

Spices, chervil, dried

4740

Spices, coriander leaf, dried

4466

Celery flakes, dried

4388

Coffee, instant, regular, powder

3535

Coffee, instant, regular, powder, half the caffeine

3535

Coffee, instant, decaffeinated, powder

3501

Radishes, oriental, dried

3494

Tea, instant, unsweetened, lemon-flavored, powder

3453

Tomatoes, sun-dried

3427

Coffee, instant, with chicory, powder

3395

Spices, dill weed, dried

3308

Peppers, sweet, red, freeze-dried

3170

Peppers, sweet, green, freeze-dried

3170

Orange-flavor drink, breakfast type, low calorie, powder

3132

Spices, tarragon, dried

3020

Chives, freeze-dried

2960

Cocoa mix, no sugar added, powder

2702

Cocoa mix, with aspartame, low calorie, powder, with added calcium phosphorus, without added

2702

sodium or vitamin A

Spices, parsley, dried

2683

Spices, basil, dried

2630

Soy flour, low-fat, crude protein basis (N x 6.25)

2570

Tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, powder, decaffeinated

2568

Tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, powder

2568

Potassium Rich Foods

Potassium

Carrot, dehydrated

2540

Spices, turmeric, ground

2525

Fruit-flavored drink, powder, with high vitamin C with other added vitamins, low calorie

2518

Soy flour, full-fat, raw

2515

Soy flour, full-fat, raw, crude protein basis (N x 6.25)

2515

Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali

2509

Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali

2509

Soy meal, defatted, raw, crude protein basis (N x 6.25)

2490

Soy meal, defatted, raw

2490

Coffee substitute, cereal grain beverage, powder

2443

Peppers, ancho, dried

2411

Leeks, (bulb and lower-leaf portion), freeze-dried

2400

Soy flour, defatted

2384

Whey, acid, dried

2289

Spices, paprika

2280

Dairy drink mix, chocolate, reduced calorie, with low-calorie sweeteners, powder

2240

Peppers, pasilla, dried

2222

Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction

2202

Beverage, milkshake mix, dry, not chocolate

2200

Seeds, sisymbrium sp. seeds, whole, dried

2130

Yeast extract spread

2100

Soy flour, defatted, crude protein basis (N x 6.25)

2090

Soy flour, low-fat

2090

Whey, sweet, dried

2080

Soy flour, full-fat, roasted, crude protein basis (N x 6.25)

2041

Soy flour, full-fat, roasted

2041

Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

2014

Seeds, breadnut tree seeds, dried

2011

Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, added phosphorus, potassium, sodium,

1985

vitamin C

Spices, chili powder

1950

Potassium Rich Foods

Potassium

Tomato powder

1927

Spearmint, dried

1924

Meat extender

1902

Peppers, hot chile, sun-dried

1870

Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless)

1869

Coffee and cocoa (mocha) powder, with whitener and low calorie sweetener, decaffeinated

1856

Coffee and cocoa (mocha) powder, with whitener and low calorie sweetener

1856

Apricots, dehydrated (low-moisture), sulfured, uncooked

1850

Potatoes, mashed, dehydrated, granules with milk, dry form

1848

Palm hearts, raw

1806

Soybeans, mature seeds, raw

1797

Beans, white, mature seeds, raw

1795

Milk, dry, nonfat, regular, without added vitamin A and vitamin D

1794

Milk, dry, nonfat, regular, with added vitamin A and vitamin D

1794

Spices, cumin seed

1788

Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless)

1772

Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless)

1761

Potato chips, without salt, reduced fat

1744

Snacks, potato chips, reduced fat

1744

Lima beans, large, mature seeds, raw

1724

Spices, saffron

1724

Steelhead trout, dried, flesh (Shoshone Bannock)

1720

Milk, dry, nonfat, instant, without added vitamin A and vitamin D

1705

Milk, dry, nonfat, instant, with added vitamin A and vitamin D

1705

Beverage, instant breakfast powder, chocolate, sugar-free, not reconstituted

1705

Spices, fennel seed

1694

Shallots, freeze-dried

1650

Snacks, potato chips, plain, salted

1642

Snacks, potato chips, fat free, salted

1628

Onions, dehydrated flakes

1622

Soy protein isolate, PROTEIN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, ProPlus

1600

Potassium Rich Foods

Potassium

Milk, buttermilk, dried

1592

Soy protein isolate, potassium type

1590

Soy protein isolate, potassium type, crude protein basis

1590

Kanpyo, (dried gourd strips)

1582

Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, plain

1574

Tomatoes, sun-dried, packed in oil, drained

1565

Spices, curry powder

1543

Beans, small white, mature seeds, raw

1542

Mushrooms, shiitake, dried

1534

Snacks, potato chips, cheese-flavor

1528

Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened

1524

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