Potassium is one of the most important minerals in your body. In fact, it’s necessary for the normal functioning of all cells. Without potassium, everything from your heartbeat to your muscles and nerves will not be working correctly. Considering how important it is, you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting enough potassium. This can be a little difficult as it is rather hard to measure potassium intake.
However, there are ways to determine whether you are deficient in potassium or not. If you want to know more about this, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Here are five tell-tale sights that you are deficient in potassium.
Weakness
As we’ve mentioned above, just above every cell in your body makes use of potassium. If you aren’t getting enough potassium, this will inevitably affect how your body functions. This will lead to fatigue, and sometimes even lightheadedness. If you are deficient in potassium while exercising, running, or engaging in sports, then there is a chance that you will faint. This is why you’ll want to be wary of this, especially when engaging in rigorous physical activities.
Muscle Cramping
Your muscles are hit the hardest when you have a potassium deficiency. So much so that you are actually significantly more prone to cramping if you don’t have enough potassium in your body. This is because the nutrient plays a vital role when it comes to smooth muscle contraction and growth. Indeed, the importance cannot be understated when it comes to muscle performance. In fact, experts recommend eating a banana to ease muscle cramping as the fruit is quite high in potassium.
Constipation
Here’s one that may surprise you. Potassium is actually essential if you want to have healthy bowel functions. Conversely, potassium deficiency will eventually lead to a slew of different issues such as constipation, bloating, and an overall weaker digestive system.
High Blood Pressure
Another important function that potassium affects is maintaining blood pressure. Having low levels of potassium can be quite troublesome as it can cause your blood pressure to spike. Without potassium, the blood vessel walls in your body tend to get constricted. This results in hypertension, which can bring about other serious issues if left unattended.
Breathing Problems
One of the more severe signs of potassium deficiency is breathing problems. Because potassium aids healthy muscle functions, having low levels of potassium makes it quite difficult to breathe. This is because of one key muscle: the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the main muscle that is used for breathing. To add to this, low levels of potassium can also lead to irregular heart rhythm which will also make breathing quite difficult. If you ever find yourself in a situation where your potassium intake (or lack thereof) is beginning to affect breathing, it would be best to consult with a medical professional as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article helps you figure out if you are lacking in potassium. If you’re experiencing any (or even all) of the signs mentioned above, then it would be in your best interest to make a conscious effort to increase your potassium intake. This shouldn’t be too difficult considering the many health supplements that boost potassium.
We here at Foods For Life are committed to providing our customers with vitamins and supplements that will help them live better and healthier lives. For added convenience, we offer an in-store pickup option. Send us an order today and we’ll let you know when it’s ready for pickup!