POTASSIUM

The Importance of the Sodium-Potassium Balance in the Body

THE SCIENCE OF POTASSIUM WITH SODIUM IN THE BODY

The role of potassium in our bodies includes:

Helps regulate heart function Reduces blood pressure Required for normal fluid balance Fundamental for normal nerve and muscle function Converts glucose into glycogen (muscle fuel) Important role in kidney function Helps lungs eliminate carbon dioxide Needed to maintain acid/alkali balance

Potassium and sodium are essential dietary minerals and electrolytes, meaning that they become ions (charged particles) in our bodies, making them capable of conducting electrical charges. Potassium is a positively charged ion, which is pumped into our cells from surrounding extracellular fluid, while its opponent, sodium, is pumped out. The potassium-sodium exchange is necessary for proper fluid balance and creates an electrical charge across the cell membrane. This is the fundamental principle which allows our nerves to conduct electrical impulses and to communicate between cells and muscles to contract. Since the heart is a large muscle that is continually and rhythmically contracting, potassium is extremely important for proper heart function. Extracellular fluid with
Na+ Na+ Na+ K+ K+

a high concentration of Na+ and a low concentration of K+

Intracellular fluid with a high concentration of K+ and a low concentration of Na+

The sodium-potassium exchange: Sodium ions (Na+) are pumped out of the cell and potassium ions (K+) are pumped into the cell.

Processed Vegetables: When foods like potatoes and tomatoes are processed, their sodium amount dramatically increases while their natural potassium declines.

Potassium also controls the creation of glycogen used by muscles for fuel from glucose (blood sugar), and therefore also controls our muscular fuel supply.
POTASSIUM INTAKETHEN AND NOW

Fruit and vegetables are the main source of dietary potassium. As Western diets have gradually changed over time, especially the last 50 years, to include more processed foods and fewer fresh fruits and vegetables, our daily intake of potassium continues to diminish. In fact, processed foods and restaurant foodswhich are high in sodiumnow account for more than 75 percent of our sodium intake.1 Consequently, our daily sodium-to-potassium ratiothe measure of sodium versus potassium in our dietscontinues to increase. The average intake of sodium is nearly 1.5 times the amount of potassium. Whereas, healthy dietary guidelines suggest double the amount of potassium to sodium in order to maintain proper health.2

K+

The World Health Organization recommends 3,510mg of potassium per day.*

POTASSIUM

Usual Intake of Sodium**

3500 Upper Limit Adequate Intake

5000 4500 4000 3500

Adequate Intake

Usual Intake of Potassium**

3000

2500

Potassium, mg

Sodium, mg

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000

2000 1500

1000

500 0

500 0

2-3

4-8

9-13 Age (years)

14-50

50+

2-3

4-8

9-13 Age (years)

14-50

50+

Current average intake level of sodium

Current average intake level of potassium

POSITIVE EFFECTS FROM CHANGES TO POTASSIUMSODIUM CONSUMPTION

Globally, 1.5 billion people suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension , and millions more are suspected to be pre-hypertensive.4 It has widely been acknowledged that excessive sodium consumption leads to raised blood pressure levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and that sodium reduction leads to healthier levels.5 Studies have also shown that insufficient potassium intake may lead to greater risk of stroke.6 Modifying our consumption of sodium and potassium has been shown to have positive effects. Recent studies have suggested that by simply increasing potassium intake helps lower blood pressure and that high potassium intake may prevent thickening of artery walls.7 There is evidence that increased potassium intake and decreased sodium intake, together with loss of excess weight and regular exercise, are the most effective, nonpharmacological (nondrug) ways to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.8
A SOLUTION TO THE POTASSIUMSODIUM IMBALANCE

Nu-Tek Food Science has developed a unique potassium chloride productNu-Tek Salt Advanced Formula Potassium Chloride. It has shown considerable success in reducing sodium levels in some of the most challenging categories by up to 50 percent.
It is recommended that people who have kidney disease not use potassium salt substitutes.

Sources: 1 James W, Ralph A & Sanchez-Castillo C (1987) The dominance of salt in manufactured food in the sodium intake of auent societies. The Lancet 329, 426-429. 2 High Potassium-to-Sodium Ratio May Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrition Horizon 06 May 2011. 3 World Hypertension League (2012) Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Blood Pressure 4 From Nu-Teks Health Issues sheet: No source cited. 5 Intersalt Cooperative Research Group (1988) Intersalt: An International Study of Electrolyte Excretion and Blood Pressure. Results For 24-Hour Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion. BMJ: British Medical Journal 297, 319-328. 6 Susanna C. Larson, PhD; Nicola Orsini, PhD; Alicja Wolk, DrMSc (2011) Dietary Potassium Intake and Risk of Stroke. The American Heart Associations Journal Stroke October 2011, 2746-2750. 7 Cappuccio F & MacGregor G (1991) Does potassium supplementation lower blood pressure? A meta-analysis of published trials. Journal of hypertension 9, 465. 8 Cook N, Obarzanek E, Cutler J, Buring J, Rexrode K, Kumanyika S, Appel L & Whelton P (2009) Joint eects of sodium and potassium intake on subsequent cardiovascular disease: the Trials of Hypertension Prevention Follow-up Study. Archives of Internal Medicine 169, 32. * Source: World Health Organization. WHO issues new guidance on dietary salt and potassium [press release]. January 31, 2013. ** The adequate intake and upper limit for sodium and potassium by age, as established by the Institute of Medicine.

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