Unfortunately, your diet may be high in sodium and low in potassium, like Shirley’s. A typical modern diet contains salty snacks and processed foods with so much sodium that it’s almost impossible to get enough potassium – even if you eat plenty of fruits and veggies. We eat much more sodium in relation to potassium than our ancestors did. But our kidneys, like theirs, still continue to excrete more potassium and retain sodium.

This is the same situation I’ve talked about in the past concerning calcium and magnesium. Our ancestors’ diets were high in magnesium (whole grains and beans) and low in calcium (dairy products). So their bodies – and ours – learned to hold on to calcium but not magnesium. Because our modern diet contains more dairy and less grains and beans, many of us are deficient in magnesium, not calcium. And because magnesium and potassium are both needed for good muscle and nerve function, the foods you eat should emphasize potassium and magnesium, without too much sodium and calcium.

Potassium and disease
There are so many illnesses, and symptoms of illness, that can be attributed to a lack of sufficient potassium. Take a look to see if any of these could apply to you:

Heart Disease: Your heart is a muscle that constantly contracts and relaxes, operating from messages that are transmitted through a network of nerves. Electrolytes help get these messages to your heart and regulate your heart rhythm. A mineral imbalance can result in heart spasms or an irregular heartbeat. All minerals need to be present in the proper balance for your electrical system to work correctly. When your magnesium level is low, your heart can’t retain potassium. This means that if you have an irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia) and you are low in potassium, you may need more magnesium as well as potassium before your heartbeat can become normal. The electrical stability of your heart comes primarily from having enough magnesium and potassium. I can’t tell you how many patients of mine no longer have irregular heartbeats after taking potassium and magnesium supplements.

Potassium works along with calcium to help your heart muscle contract, and it works with sodium to help normalize your heart rate. Without sufficient potassium, your heart simply can’t function properly. A 12-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that just one extra helping of fruits and vegetables reduced the incidents of stroke by 40 percent.

High blood pressure: Vegetarians tend to have low blood pressure, probably because they eat more fruits, vegetables, and beans – high-potassium foods. In a study of nearly 100 vegetarians and a similar number of non-vegetarian controls, both groups had the same amount of dietary sodium, but the extra dietary potassium lowered blood pressure in vegetarians. Potassium seems to have the greatest blood pressure-lowering effect for people with severe hypertension, but if you have high blood pressure, you should lower your sodium and increase potassium-rich foods. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to lower your blood pressure. Just add more potassium-rich foods.

Osteoporosis: Several studies have shown a connection between bone density and potassium. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that acid-producing foods like meat increase the production of cells that break down bone. The potassium in fruits and vegetables are alkaline- producing and counteract this effect. So you can protect your bones by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.