Micronutrients
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Potassium (K) is an alkaline metal and exists as a cation (K+) in the human body. It is the most abundant cation inside cells, and is fully water-soluble. Ninety percent of potassium exists in intracellular fluid, with about 10% in extracellular fluid, and only 1% in blood plasma. As Na+, K+ levels in the cells are regulated by the pump Na+/K+-ATPase enzyme found in the cell membrane (6–9). More than 90% of dietary K+ is absorbed in the digestive tract (6). As Na+, renal K+ excretion is regulated by aldosterone, which increases Na+ reabsorption in the kidney in exchange for increased loss of K+ to the urine. The homoeostasis of K+ in the body is controlled by renal glomerular filtration and tubular secretion (6, 8–9).
Nutrition Part I
Mark C Houston in The Truth About Heart Disease, 2023
The sodium–potassium ratio may be more important that the actual dietary sodium and potassium intake and the risk of CHD (175). A number of population studies demonstrating that higher dietary potassium, as rated by urinary excretion or dietary recall, was generally associated with lower blood pressure and CHD regardless of the level of sodium intake (175–180). According to a report of the Institute of Medicine, adult recommendations are to consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium daily to control blood pressure and reduce dietary sodium intake to about 1.5 to 2 grams per day (2,4,175–179). The potassium/sodium ratio should be greater than 2.5 to 3.0 (2,4,175–179). Foods that are high in potassium include bran, mushrooms, macadamia nuts and almonds, dark leafy greens, avocados, apricots, fruits, and acorn squash.
Basics of Eating Disorders
Wayne A. Bowers in Civil Commitment in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, 2018
Eating disorders affect the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual but also disrupt multiple physical aspects of the body, some of which can become life-threatening (Mehler & Andersen, 2017, Westmoreland, Krantz, & Mehler, 2016). Dieting, poor nutrition, purging and abuse of laxatives, among other things can set the stage for medical complications that can affect every organ system in the body. Starvation and chaotic eating can disrupt electrolytes leading to serious heart problems such as decreased size of the heart muscle, a disruption of blood pressure, bradycardia, and arrhythmias (Mehler & Andersen, 2017, Westmoreland et al., 2016). More specifically, low potassium can lead to diminished reflexes, fatigue, and potential cardiac abnormalities that may not resolve. Other consequences of restricted caloric intake or chaotic eating can include a feeling of weakness, confusion, poor concentration, seizures, and death (Mehler & Andersen, 2017, Westmoreland et al., 2016). Poor nutrition has been implicated in the development of anemia, anxiety, restlessness, or fainting for individuals who develop an eating disorder. A long-term nonreversible condition related to starvation is osteopenia, reflecting poor bone mineral density leading to premature weakness or brittleness in one’s bones. Without intervention into this starvation-related problem, osteopenia becomes a precursor to osteoporosis (Mehler & Andersen, 2017, Westmoreland et al., 2016).
Sample management for clinical biochemistry assays: Are serum and plasma interchangeable specimens?
Published in Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 2018
Gabriel Lima-Oliveira, Denis Monneret, Fabrice Guerber, Gian Cesare Guidi
Variability between serum and plasma from different brands of evacuated tubes. (a) TP – total protein; (b) TRANS – transferrin; (c) HPT – haptoglobin; (d) AAT – α1-antitrypsin; (e) C3 – complement C3; (f) IgG – immunoglobulin G; (g) IgM – immunoglobulin M; (h) IgA – immunoglobulin A; (i) HDL – high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; (j) PHOS – phosphate; (k) Ca – calcium; (l) K – potassium; (m) ALP – alkaline phosphatase; (n) AMYL – amylase; (o) ALT – alanine aminotransferase; (p) GGT – gamma-glutamyltransferase; (q) LD – lactate dehydrogenase; (r) CK – creatine kinase; (s) CRE – creatinine. Serum vs. plasma from different brands of evacuated tubes (x-axis) are plotted against bias values (y-axis). Solid line – bias. Dashed lines – acceptable criteria based on desirable specification for imprecision (DSI) derived from biologic variation for each analyte.
Estimation of salt intake and sodium-to-potassium ratios assessed by urinary excretion among Japanese elementary school children
Published in Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 2018
Chikako Seko, Yuko Taguchi, Hiroyoshi Segawa, Kiyoko Odani, Wataru Aoi, Sayori Wada, Kaori Kitaoka, Taeko Masumoto, Akane Higashi
We found that 59.2% of the subjects had a urinary Na/K ratio greater than 4.0. The ratios were lower in the subjects who ate breakfast with their mothers, and that the amount of fruit consumed showed a significant negative correlation with the ratios. We also found that the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and beans tended to be higher in the subjects who ate breakfast with their mothers (no table shown). Potassium is a water-soluble mineral contained in many foods, which is easily destroyed during cooking processes such as boiling or scalding. As fruit is usually eaten without cooking, a high level of fruit consumption is an effective way to increase potassium intake (23–25). These results suggest that it is important to promote the consumption of fruit to decrease urinary Na/K ratios through the increased intake of potassium.
Dietary salt consumption and the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of healthy adults: a cross-sectional study from Jordan
Published in Libyan Journal of Medicine, 2018
Izzat Alawwa, Rajaa Dagash, Akram Saleh, Abdelaziz Ahmad
The prevalence of hypertension evident by several epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies positively correlates with excessive sodium consumption. Thus, high sodium intake increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality [6,7], and may as well have other harmful effects including increased risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, obesity, gastric cancer, and chronic kidney disease [8]. Therefore, the WHO has acknowledged high sodium intake as one of the silent killers of humans responsible for roughly 2.3 million deaths (4% of global mortality) in 2010 [1]. In a meta-analysis of 31 trials, reduction of sodium consumption by 75 mmol/day (equivalent to 4 g salt) resulted in an average decrease of 5.0 mmHg systolic blood pressure (BP) and 2.7 mmHg diastolic BP in hypertensive patients [9]. On the other hand, high potassium consumption has been found to be beneficial in preventing hypertension and cardiovascular events [10]. According to the WHO guidelines, low sodium and high potassium intake should be evaluated jointly. Even though both are recognized as international health parameters, they are highly variable among different communities; therefore, it is mandatory to study and establish their scales nationally. Unlike most developed and many developing countries who already have established sodium and potassium intake levels, and have already implemented successful campaigns to manage them [11], we currently lack such data in Jordan and the impact on public health has not been identified.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Electrolysis
- Ionization Energy
- Oxygen
- Potash
- Sodium
- Potassium Peroxide
- Ion
- Salt
- Hydrogen
- Flame Test