Aug 10, 2009

The Best Benefits of a Low Potassium Diet

By Jesse Regan

Through time, various health professionals have been continuously developing different health programs to meet various health concerns. In most cases, these health programs focus on helping a person lose weight in a healthy way, while there are others that are specifically designed to improve the health status of an individual. One good example is the low potassium diet.

In actuality, low potassium diet may not be that popular compared to other forms of health programs. But then, this diet is made for those who seem to be most vulnerable to various health risks due to high levels of potassium. Most frequently, those that have kidney problems are the ones that are most likely to be in great need of the diet.

Basically, potassium is present in various types of food like vegetables, seeds, fruits, nuts, and beans. Potassium is of great significance to our body as it plays an important role in our muscle functions but can be a great threat to others when present in high concentrations. However, it is through low potassium diet that a person gets to significantly reduce the amount of potassium in his blood. Furthermore, the diet helps individuals maintain the healthy level of potassium in order to keep normal heart and muscle functions.

In this diet, proper preparation of the food must be strictly observed such as cooking fruits and vegetables in water and rinsing them thoroughly before serving. For canned goods, a person must make sure that all the fluid inside the can must be properly drained and then rinsing the fruit or vegetable inside it before it is allowed to be served.

Potatoes on the other should be peeled, sliced thin, and then soaked into the water for at least 4 hours before it gets allowed to be cooked. The same procedure should also be applied on green leafy vegetables like collards, spinach, and kale. The said pre-cooking process is of great importance in order to reduce the amount of potassium in the said foods. Salt substitutes must be avoided as they contain high concentrations of potassium. The best alternative for this is by way of salt-free herb blends and spices. And while you are at it on the grocery store, it is wise to keep on checking on the labels of your picked favorites to keep a watch on foods that contain foods like those that have potassium chloride inside them.

High levels of potassium can be a great threat for some individuals but it can be avoided with the help of a low potassium diet. One particular example of a threat is the fatal cardiac arrhythmia. With this condition, a person may feel some various symptoms like irritability, diarrhea, stomach cramps, tiredness, anxiety, slow weak pulse, palpitations, and even heart failure. That's why it is always significant to have more knowledge about diet .

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