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Potassium is one of the key mineral required by the body. Potassium performs many important functions in the body and is a source for maintaining fluid balance in the body, proper functioning brain, nerves, muscles and the heart. Potassium intake in the body can help in the regulation of various processes which include lowering blood pressure by making arteries more flexible and also replenishing the excess sodium from the body. Taking potassium-rich foods is also part of the DASH (Dietary approach to stop hypertension) diet which helps in keeping a check on blood pressure through a regulated diet.
15 Healthy Potassium Rich Foods
Some of the potassium-rich foods that help in providing potassium to the body are:
1. White Beans:
These are one of the best sources of Potassium and many other minerals like thiamine, folate, magnesium, manganese to the body.
One cup of white beans can provide 18% of the recommended daily intake of potassium. Apart from that white beans is also an excellent source of fiber to the body. One cup of fiber can fulfill 75% of the body requirements.
2. Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Potatoes are regarded as a great source of potassium to the body, one large potato can provide 34% of the recommended daily intake. Potassium is present in the flesh of the potato as well as the outer skin, therefore, it is recommended to consume unpeeled potatoes for higher potassium intake.
Similar to potatoes, Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of potassium. One large sweet potato can fulfill 18% of the body needs. Apart from these, potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, A, B6, and manganese.
3. Beets:
Beetroots are a good source of minerals and vitamins. They provide around 11% of the body’s requirement for potassium. Apart from Potassium Beetroot is an excellent source of folate and manganese. Beetroot is also a great antioxidant which helps fight inflammation and damage to the cells and tissues.
Beetroot is a wonderful source of nitrates which helps in improving the functioning of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and decreases the risk of heart disease.
4. Avocado:
Avocado is one fruit which is rich in a number of vital minerals and vitamins. One avocado can provide 975 mg of potassium to the body. Apart from potassium, they are also a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin B6, folate etc. Avocadoes have been found very healthy for metabolic syndrome, weight management, and a healthy heart.
Thus, apart from full filling the potassium requirement of the body, they provide numerous other necessary vitamins and minerals which are vital for health. It is good to include avocados in the daily diet for their numerous benefits.
5. Parsnips:
These are the white root vegetable similar to the carrots. These are a great source of potassium and fulfill around 12% of the body requirements. Apart from being a good source of potassium, they are also a good source of vitamin C and folate.
Above all there are many health benefits of Parsnips like healthy skin and tissues, cell growth and preventing birth defects etc. Moreover, they also help in reducing cholesterol in the body.
6. Spinach:
Spinach is another vegetable that is known to be very nutritious. One cup of spinach is sufficient to provide 18% of the totals requirement for the day. Apart from Potassium, Spinach is rich in variety of other minerals and vitamins as well like:
- Vitamin A – A cup of spinach is sufficient to provide 4 times the requirement for the day
- Vitamin K – Similarly, it can fulfill 10 times a day’s requirement for Vitamin K
- Manganese – 90% of the day’s requirement for manganese
- Calcium – 30 % of the daily body requirement.
Thus, spinach is one of the essential food to be included in the diet and is helpful in good metabolism, vision, bone grow development and healthy immune system.
Apart from the above nutrient, Spinach is a wonderful antioxidant that helps in preventing body from free radicals.
7. Swiss Chard:
This is another class of green leafy vegetables with yellow/red colored stalks. As with other green vegetables, this is also filled with nutrients. One cup of Swiss Chard can almost fulfill 21% of the daily body requirements for potassium. Apart from Potassium, it also contains many other minerals and vitamins required for healthy functioning. Some of them include:
- Vitamin A – One cup of Swiss Chard can fulfill up to 214% of the daily requirements
- Vitamin K – Similarly, it can provide 716% of Body daily requirement for vitamin K
- Apart from the above, it is also a good source of Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, fiber, and antioxidants.
8. Tomatoes and Tomato products:
Tomato and tomato products are easily available vegetables in the market and are a good source of potassium. One cup of a tomato sauce fulfills 17% of the daily requirements. Apart from being a good source of potassium, tomatoes also are a good source of other vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, C, E, B6 and copper which have their proven effects on the body.
Apart from the above benefits, tomato is also a wonderful source of lycopene which helps reduce inflammation and promotes heart health. Tomatoes also help control cholesterol, they have been found to lower the level of bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol in the body thus having a significant impact on the heart’s health.
Tomatoes can also be consumed in a variety of other forms like tomato Juice, Dried tomatoes, tomato paste etc. to have the positive effects on the body.
9. Oranges and its modified forms:
Oranges which are more famous for the citrus nature and providing vitamin C to the body also helps in providing potassium to the body. A glass of orange juice can provide 11% of the potassium daily needs.
Apart from these, oranges are also a source of folate, vitamin A, thiamine, and antioxidants. It is also observed that the people who consume oranges have helped them in building immunity, preventing metabolic disorders and improving bone health.
10. Bananas:
Banana is one of the most nutritious fruits which is also a good source of Potassium. Eating a banana can fulfill 12% of the body requirements for the day. Apart from potassium, it is also a good source of magnesium, manganese, Vitamin A, vitamin B6, fiber, and antioxidants. It is also regarded as a high carbohydrate fruit and is used by sportsperson for instant energy.
11. Milk and Yogurt:
Yogurt is a fermented product of milk and is full of healthy vitamins and minerals. Some of the minerals it contains are riboflavin, calcium, and potassium. A cup of yogurt provides 11% of the body’s potassium. Apart from vitamins and minerals, potassium also provides healthy bacteria to the intestine which helps improve digestion. Similarly, milk is also a good source of potassium and other necessary minerals.
12. Clams:
Clam is a marine food and is scientifically called as the bivalve mollusks. These are of various varieties and are eaten in different ways. The health benefits of these cannot be doubted, a 100 gm of clams serving could provide 18% of the RDI for the body. Apart from these, they are also a great source of micro nutrient like Selenium and is also known for iron and vitamin B12.
Off-recently, there use has been increased specifically because of the high omega-3 fatty acid they bestow.
13. Salmon:
Salmon is another marine origin food which is very nutritious and is known as a rich source of proteins, Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals including potassium.
The greatest benefit of Salmon is towards the heart as it improves the health of the heart. This is also found to be rich in essential fatty acids that also help fight depression, joint pain, skin ailments etc. A 3 ounce of salmon contains around 500 mg of potassium.
14. Coconut Water:
This is known to have great health benefits. Most importantly Coconut water is a good source of minerals that helps to balance the pH of the body and also replenishes the electrolyte. Drinking a cup of coconut water provides 13% of the body’s requirement.
Coconut water is often used by sportsperson to regain the electrolytes lost due to the strenuous activities. Coconut water has a variety of health benefits like weight reduction and weight control, improve digestion, nausea etc.
15. Acorn Squash:
This is a food that can be cooked or roasted and can eat as a slice of watermelon. One cup of the fruit provides almost 650 mg of potassium. Apart from this it also contains anti-oxidant, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Potassium is required for the normal functioning of the body like heart, nerves, brain and it does impact the muscle and nerve functioning. In most cases the normal daily diet does not contain enough potassium, thus it is really important to have one or the other food items mentioned above in the daily diet. One can use a variety of recipes to make them taste good to the palate.
