potassium RDA

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:24 pm

estimate I am getting about 50% of RDA of potassium

multivitamin supplies me with 3% of potassium requirements. I eat a yogurt product that supplies me with 10%. I bought some potassium supplements but each pill only supplies 3% of the RDA and they suggest that you take only 1 pill per day. I'd need to take about 15 to make up the shortfall.

Most of the foods I eat do not list potassium as a nutrient probably because there is just trace amounts of it.

Does anyone know why they put so little potassium in the vitamin pills? And why they suggest such a low dose?

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:31 am

Possibly because having too much daily, might cause an Electrolyte imbalance.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:42 pm

Boss Man wrote:Possibly because having too much daily, might cause an Electrolyte imbalance.

You'd think it would be something like that, but why then do they incorporate just 3% of the RDA in each pill? It seems absurdly low and hardly worth the expense and effort of taking them.

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:38 pm

Well I only suggested that as a possiblity, it might contribute to an Electrolyte imbalance, in conjunction with the remaining amount of most peoples daily potassium intake, but perhaps you might benefit from looking at consumerlab.com, and seeing if any other peoples mutlivits fair any better, and if yours is listed on there, it might be listed because it's a good one, a reasonable one, a B.S. one, who knows?

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 1:04 pm

Thanks Bossman.

TakeTwo · Post by **TakeTwo** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:39 pm

I believe by law they are only allowed to put 99mg per pill. Never made much sense to me but you just have to take more pills to get the desired levels.

Shnide · Post by **Shnide** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:23 pm

Save your money, kids. Buy a big jug of Low Sodium V8 juice. One cup has 850 mgs of potassium, almost three times as much as one banana. I use it all the time because I'm on a diuretic, and blood potassium levels are always up.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:29 am

Shnide wrote:Save your money, kids. Buy a big jug of Low Sodium V8 juice. One cup has 850 mgs of potassium, almost three times as much as one banana. I use it all the time because I'm on a diuretic, and blood potassium levels are always up.

This is good information and situation exactly. I'll give it a try.

HoustonTexan · Post by **HoustonTexan** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:56 am

Nobody needs THAT much potassium every single day. I don't know the actual grams but you guys taking their recommended multivitamin daily are probably getting in too much vitamins and minerals and if you ever feel like crap but are not sick that is why. Plus if you get too much vitamins you piss them out so theoretically your pissing money.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:54 am

HoustonTexan wrote:Nobody needs THAT much potassium every single day. I don't know the actual grams but you guys taking their recommended multivitamin daily are probably getting in too much vitamins and minerals and if you ever feel like crap but are not sick that is why. Plus if you get too much vitamins you piss them out so theoretically your pissing money.

multi-vitamin has just 3% of the RDA of potassium.

You only piss out the water soluable vitamins. You can overdose on the others (like folic acid, which in higher doses is only available by prescription).

HoustonTexan · Post by **HoustonTexan** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:31 pm

You also piss out calcium...anyways, what would be the health benefits of getting that much potassium anyways?

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:39 am

HoustonTexan wrote:You also piss out calcium...anyways, what would be the health benefits of getting that much potassium anyways?

original post said:

estimate I am getting about 50% of RDA of potassium

multivitamin supplies me with 3% of potassium requirements.

Multi-vitamins generally supply 100% or more of the RDA of the vitamins or minerals they list. Why would they only include 3% of potassium?

HoustonTexan · Post by **HoustonTexan** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:41 am

Packard wrote:
HoustonTexan wrote:You also piss out calcium...anyways, what would be the health benefits of getting that much potassium anyways?
original post said:

estimate I am getting about 50% of RDA of potassium

multivitamin supplies me with 3% of potassium requirements.

Multi-vitamins generally supply 100% or more of the RDA of the vitamins or minerals they list. Why would they only include 3% of potassium?

Maybe it's because people get a lot of potassium in their daily diet and if you eat enough potassium it can be just as poisonous as alcohol.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:51 pm

HoustonTexan wrote:
Packard wrote:
HoustonTexan wrote:You also piss out calcium...anyways, what would be the health benefits of getting that much potassium anyways?
original post said:

estimate I am getting about 50% of RDA of potassium

multivitamin supplies me with 3% of potassium requirements.

Multi-vitamins generally supply 100% or more of the RDA of the vitamins or minerals they list. Why would they only include 3% of potassium?
Maybe it's because people get a lot of potassium in their daily diet and if you eat enough potassium it can be just as poisonous as alcohol.

I've read that 2,000 to 3,000 mmg is considered adequate, but some other sources suggest 4,000 mmg.

I was reading the available potassium in the foods I eat and it looked like I was getting about 1,500 mmg to maybe 2,000 mmg. I take a diuretic so I should be taking in closer to the 3,000 to 4,000 number.