The following foods are rich in potassium and contain more than 200 mg of potassium per 0.5 cup serving. However, to be considered rich in potassium, a food must be 20 percent or more of the recommended daily allowance, or 940 mg per serving.
Grapes are not high in potassium. Grapes have an average level of potassium, volumetric-wise, for a fruit. However, many fruits possess greater concentrations of the mineral than grapes. If the fruit is eaten for its potassium content, then bananas, oranges, apricots, and other yellow and orange fruits should be chosen instead.
If you’re on a low-potassium diet, you need to avoid foods high in potassium (usually over 200 mg per serving). If your potassium levels rise again, you may need to resume a low-potassium diet until it is under control. If your potassium levels are elevated due to a chronic health condition, you may need to make permanent changes to your diet to manage your potassium levels.
Best Practices Dictate Speaking with a Nutrition
It is very important to talk to a nephritic nutritionist and doctor to discuss ways to limit potassium intake if potassium levels are high or kidney function is severely impaired. A doctor or dietitian can help explain how much potassium to consume on a case-by-case basis. Your doctor will likely advise you to eat a diet rich in potassium, provided that your kidney function is normal.
Getting the right amount of potassium in your diet helps keep you healthy, which is why eating plenty of potassium-rich foods is crucial. Your doctor may also sometimes recommend that you avoid many potassium-rich foods. Your doctor may want you to try eating less potassium-rich foods to lower your levels.
An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened grape juice contains more than 250 mg of potassium, while the same grape juice smoothie contains at least 80 mg. Your average green seedless grape contains about 175 mg of potassium per cup. Red pitted grapes contain nearly 290 mg of potassium per 1-cup serving, while dark purple muscadines have 200 mg per cup.
Many Common Fruits Have Plenty of Potassium
Fruits high in potassium include bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, avocados, grapefruits, apricots, honeydew, guava, and kiwi. Below is a list of fruits that are high in potassium. Potassium from fruits such as those listed below is considered safe and healthy. Potassium-rich foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, form the basis of a balanced diet and provide plenty of nutrients.
One problem with a low-potassium diet is that many other healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are high in potassium. You need to make sure your low-potassium diet is filled with low-potassium options that contain enough nutrients; you can also include small amounts of high-potassium foods in your diet. For example, vegetarians may have difficulty following a low-potassium diet because plant-based diets are often based on potassium-rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes; avoid foods that are low in potassium, such as meat.
People with Kidney Issues Avoid Potassium
People with chronic kidney disease or CKD should avoid or limit foods high in potassium. People with chronic kidney disease must limit the amount of potassium they consume because their kidneys cannot process potassium properly, causing it to build up in the blood. For people without kidney problems, the kidneys are very efficient at controlling the amount of potassium needed in the body.
The kidneys help regulate the amount of potassium in the body, but if they don’t function properly, too much potassium can enter the bloodstream, causing weakness or numbness and possibly arrhythmia and heart attack. If your kidneys are not working well, too much potassium can remain in your body, causing nerve and muscle problems. You may feel weak, numb, and tingly if you have high potassium levels. A high level of potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia, which is common in people with advanced chronic kidney disease.
Potassium Affects Heat Rate as Well
High potassium levels can affect your heart rate, so the meal plan you follow when treating kidney disease may include potassium restriction. You should also make sure that all your doctors are aware of your kidney problem because there are some medications you should avoid for kidney disease that can raise your potassium levels to high levels. However, too much potassium can be harmful, especially for people with pre-existing kidney disease or heart failure.
When your kidneys are unhealthy, you often have to limit certain foods that can raise your blood potassium levels to dangerous levels. Serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur if potassium levels are too high (for example, if too much potassium is absorbed and your kidneys are not functioning well enough to remove the excess, or if potassium levels are elevated due to certain medications). Foods or beverages that contain potassium in large amounts need to be avoided, even in small amounts, as this can also increase your potassium levels.
Beets Are a Fine Alternative
For those looking to increase their potassium intake to prevent or control high blood pressure, beets may offer additional benefits. In addition, avocados can help people with high blood pressure, who are often advised to increase their potassium intake and reduce their salt (sodium) intake for people with high blood pressure.
The current recommendation from the National Kidney Foundation is that people with mild to moderate kidney disease (not on dialysis) should take 2 to 4 grams of potassium per day. The normal amount of potassium in a typical healthy American diet is 3,500 to 4,500 mg per day. According to the American Kidney Foundation, a low-potassium diet can get you 2,000 mg of potassium per day. Bananas are prized for their potassium content, and these beans have twice as much potassium per cup (179 grams).
