Potassium — vegansk

Potassium is an electrolyte, which together with the other electrolytes, such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and chloride, which helps to maintain the electrolyte fluid balance in our body. The nervous cells use potassium to send the correct electrical impulses through the nerves to control our body's functions, such as the muscles. The potassium-sodium pump is also used to transport water through cell membranes and to control the tension in the cell membranes. Imbalance in our potassium-sodium balance can lead to high blood pressure, since our body needs potassium in order to excrete sodium.

A western diet will often contain too much salt (Sodium Chloride), which will imbalance our potassium-sodium levels, and the western diet in general lacks potassium sources, like bananas and avocados. Diuretics, such as coffee, sugar, alcohol and some medications will deplete your body of its potassium.

Potassium maintains the following in our body:

• normal blood pressure
• normal nervous system
• normal muscle function