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How Do I Choose the Best Potassium Vitamins?
Potassium (K), not to be confused with vitamin K, is one of the essential minerals that the human body needs. Your physician will help you decide whether you need potassium vitamins, or a multivitamin that contains potassium. He can also advise you on the amount of potassium that should be included in the supplement that you take. Potassium vitamins and supplements are also available in a few different forms, including pill and liquid forms.
There are several benefits of potassium. This essential mineral can help maintain blood sugar levels, and is necessary for the brain and muscles to function properly. Most of an individual's potassium is usually obtained from a balanced diet. Some foods that are rich in potassium include bananas and potatoes.
It is not advisable to start taking potassium vitamins without the supervision of a physician. You doctor can run tests to help determine if you need more potassium to treat a condition known as hypokalemia. Symptoms of hypokalemia, or a potassium deficiency, may include fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and muscle weakness.
Depending on your needs, your doctor may recommend potassium vitamins that contain other vitamins as well. These are commonly referred to as multivitamins, and they contain several vitamins and minerals. These types of supplements are especially good for individuals who are lacking other essential nutrients, like calcium or iron.
On average, adults typically require about 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day. Humans in most parts of the world are typically able to obtain the proper amount of potassium from a balanced diet. Most potassium vitamins typically contain just a small percentage of this amount. If you suffer from hypokalemia, however, your doctor may recommend or prescribe potassium vitamins with a higher percentage of potassium.
When choosing potassium vitamins, you will also most likely notice that they come in a few forms. They may come in traditional pill form, for instance, but these may be somewhat difficult to swallow. Your body may also have a problem absorbing the nutrients in pills. Liquid potassium vitamins, on the other hand, are typically much easier to swallow, and they can often be mixed in with food. Some studies also show that the nutrients in these liquid supplements are more easily absorbed.
Potassium vitamins can cause a few mild side effects when taken. An upset stomach is a common problem when taking potassium vitamins. Taking these type of supplements with food can help alleviate these side effects.
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![White beans, which are a good source of potassium.]()
By: SchliernerWhite beans, which are a good source of potassium. -
![Doctors may recommend multivitamins with potassium in them.]()
By: pixelrobotDoctors may recommend multivitamins with potassium in them.
Discussion Comments
I thought I had everything covered when I started taking a daily multivitamin. Then not long ago, my doctor informed me that I had a deficiency. I was deficient in -- you guessed it -- potassium.
Who knew that of all the vitamin pills I could have picked, I could stumble across vitamins without potassium in the ingredients list? It seems essential to me when I read about it, so I'm irritated that my multivitamin doesn't seem to agree.
Since finding out that I was deficient in potassium, I've started taking potassium pills separately. Lo and behold, I feel so much better. The irregular heartbeat that used to freak me out is gone, and I wasn't even aware that my constant fatigue was thanks to any condition, I thought I was just tired from work.
If anybody here is looking to take supplements for more than one kind of vitamin, make sure to see if they include potassium. If they don't, put 'em back!
Very nice article. I have always taken vitamins in pill form, but after reading about the information here I'm considering switching to liquid form. I've read that you can also receive vitamin injections directly into your tissues and blood as well.
People with some form of vitamin malabsorption usually end up needing to take the injections -- I think they're administered by a doctor, and cannot be taken at home, but I could be wrong.
If you can't afford a bunch of vitamin supplements, it might be a smart idea to eat lots of foods with the vitamin you need in them. Remember, in nature we're supposed to get all of our vitamins from food, so there is enough in many foods to replace vitamin pills.
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