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Potassium in diet - Overview

Alternative Names

Diet - potassium

Definition of Potassium in diet:

Potassium is a mineral involved in electrical and cellular body functions. In the body, potassium is classified as an electrolyte.

Function:

Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body. It has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs:

It assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance.
It assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism.
It is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.

Reviewed last on: 6/23/2008
Patrika Tsai, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Panel on Dietary Reference Intakes for Electrolytes and Water, Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Chapter 8 -- Sodium and Potassium. Accessed June 23, 2008.

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