Potassium and magnesium belong to the group of minerals that are present in the human body only in trace amounts but are essential for it to work properly. Minerals play an important role in the body’s most fundamental processes, such as metabolism, so we should not forget about them.
Professors at Harvard University warn:
Our diet is not varied. We often get stuck eating too much fat, sugar and salt, so we neglect essential elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc and end up deficient in them. Yet it would be enough to replace fatty and overly sweet meals with fresh, minimally processed foods and to avoid alcohol and salt.
The quote shows that a varied everyday diet without chemical additives and preservatives is enough to keep adequate stores of the basic minerals.
Minerals are divided according to how important they are for the body into macroelements and trace elements.
Table of contents
Why should you watch your potassium intake?
Potassium is a macroelement and, according to experts, it is the third most abundant element in our body, right after calcium and phosphorus. Together with sodium, potassium is an electrolyte, which means a substance that carries a positive or negative charge when dissolved in the watery environment of human blood. It is therefore essential to keep these two elements in perfect balance. If the balance tips one way or the other, problems with bodily processes follow.
Typical signs of potassium deficiency include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Swollen legs
- Digestive problems
- Nervous system disorders
- Heart failure
- Diarrhoea
As soon as you notice one or more of these signs, see a doctor who will examine you and check for potassium deficiency. At first glance it may seem trivial, as we are only talking about a trace element, but be aware that a long-term potassium deficiency can have far-reaching consequences.
The role of potassium in the human body
According to Harvard Health Publishing, a normal level of potassium in the body is important for muscle function, including the relaxation of blood vessel walls, which lowers blood pressure and the risk of muscle cramps. Normal potassium levels are also important for conducting electrical signals to the nervous system and the heart. This protects against an irregular heart rhythm.
Other equally important functions of potassium include:
- Stimulating mental activity
- Reducing fatigue
- Keeping a stable amount of fluid in cells
- Converting sugar into glycogen
- Acting as a natural diuretic, i.e. a substance that helps remove toxic waste from the body
- Strengthening the immune system
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Potassium is mainly associated with benefits for the heart and blood vessels. It can significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and noticeably lower high blood pressure.
Foods rich in potassium
Potassium occurs naturally in food, so we can easily get it every day from what we eat. It is also important to pay attention to how food is cooked, because boiling in water, for example, greatly reduces its potassium content. Nutritional therapists give a specific example:
If we boil potatoes, which are among the leading sources of potassium, in water, they lose up to 50% of their potassium. But if we steam them, they lose only 6% of their potassium.
Foods high in potassium include:
- Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Bananas
- Plums
- Apricots
- Oranges
- Poultry
- Milk
- Yoghurts
Sometimes it is necessary to take potassium in tablet form, because people taking diuretics to lower blood pressure, for example, lose huge amounts of potassium from the body in their urine.
Cardiologist Dr Zusman says:
At least a third of patients taking diuretics to prevent heart failure caused by high blood pressure suffer from swollen legs, which are undoubtedly linked to a lack of potassium in their diet. I recommend that such people top up their potassium with tablets.
Food supplements should not contain more than 99 mg of potassium per tablet, and this includes combined multivitamin products. Never take such tablets just because you think you need to top up your minerals. Always consult your doctor first. Also, start by assessing for yourself whether you eat enough of the foods mentioned above.
Why should you watch your magnesium intake?
Magnesium is also a macroelement and ranks second among the most abundant minerals in human cells, right after potassium.
Magnesium is sometimes nicknamed “the element of life” because it is absolutely indispensable in almost all bodily processes. It takes part in 350 entirely essential metabolic processes and, among other things, is irreplaceable for the metabolism of other minerals, especially calcium and potassium.
This is what renowned nutritional therapists say, adding that magnesium is the most important of all the elements. Most magnesium is stored in bones and teeth, and much smaller amounts are found in blood and tissues.
As with potassium, magnesium deficiency is easily mistaken for symptoms of other conditions. If you have persistent non-specific health complaints that cannot be attributed to a particular illness, it is quite likely that you are lacking an essential mineral.
Well-known signs of magnesium deficiency include:
- Headaches
- Sweating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Heart palpitations
- Eyelid twitching
- Brittle nails, hair loss
- Muscle cramps
- Tingling in the limbs
And many more. Low magnesium stores in the body bring dozens of different negative effects, which together can cause real discomfort or even endanger your health, for example through collapse. Always consult your doctor, and if they tell you that you have a deficiency of this essential mineral, make sure you increase your intake through food.
TIP: If you have a heavy workload, stress at work or run your own business, you should take magnesium especially carefully. It can help you perform better at work and feel better while doing it.
The role of magnesium in the human body
Doctors and scientists describe magnesium as the “spark plug” that starts all the most important processes in the human body. Without it, nothing in the body works. It acts directly inside human cells, where it oversees the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. So it makes sense that if there is too little of it in the body, problems arise right at the cellular level.
Key functions of magnesium include (among others):
- Relaxes stiff and cramped muscles
- Helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function
- Oversees insulin metabolism
- Activates enzymes
- Strengthens immunity
- Reduces kidney stone formation
- Keeps tooth enamel strong
- Improves memory, judgement and concentration
- Regulates thyroid function
- Improves tolerance of some medicines
These are just ten selected benefits that go hand in hand with a regular intake of magnesium. In total, it has around a hundred good properties. Magnesium balance is also positively influenced by potassium (the potassium and magnesium partnership is one of the most important in the human body), vitamins B6 and D, and inulin (i.e. oligofructose).
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Foods rich in magnesium
If you do not know what contains magnesium, rest assured that it is found in almost all available foods, so you just need to choose. A varied everyday diet is the best way to top up magnesium quickly, and a one-sided diet is strongly discouraged.
Foods high in magnesium include:
- Dates, bananas, apricots, strawberries, raspberries
- Lettuce, leafy greens, spinach, potatoes, onions
- Chia seeds, cashew nuts, hemp seeds
- Oats, maize, rye, wholegrain products
- Beef
- Emmental cheese
As with potassium, sometimes you need a higher dose of magnesium and ordinary food is not enough. In that case it is a good idea to take magnesium tablets temporarily. All pharmacy chains now offer appealing ways to top up magnesium gently, such as effervescent tablets, snack packs or sachets of powder that you do not need to take with water.
Potassium and magnesium are a strong tandem known around the world as “the mighty mineral duo”. Put simply, one cannot work without the other, and they influence each other. A very common cause of potassium deficiency is a simultaneous drop in magnesium levels. Topping up magnesium to its normal physiological level then automatically corrects potassium levels. Be aware that if you are deficient in one element, it automatically means that your levels of others will also drop, and the result may be a total collapse of the body.
