As we know in the 4 Hour Body Tim recommends supplementing “The Slow Carb Diet” with Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium.<\/p>\n
Today, I want to spend some time talking about Potassium, because this is a topic that is extremely confusing. When I was constructing my “Listmania for slow-carb diet supplements<\/a>” on Amazon I was overwhelmed and confused by how many options there were. I prescribe potassium chloride often in the form of K-Dur, and I usually write for 20 mEq tabs. This is not available over the counter.<\/p>\n I have recommended over the counter potassium many times but have always been confused about the mg to mEq conversions. This is important, whether you are supplementing a low carb diet or using supplemental potassium for medical reasons.<\/p>\n Because low potassium (hypokalemia) is rare, there is no RDA or RNI for this mineral. However, it is thought that 1600 to 2000 mg (40 to 50 milliequivalents [mEq]) per day for adults is adequate.<\/p>\n Remember:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A brief internet search on different types of potassium produced a lot of articles on Livestrong, which confused me even more. Plus, I don’t know if I should trust Lance anymore.<\/p>\n So I am going to save you time, this is what you really need to know: I have concluded, that in essence, your two main over the counter potassium TABLET options (Potassium Citrate and Potassium Gluconate) contain the same 3% daily allowance of potassium or roughly 2.53 mEq of potassium. <\/strong><\/p>\n *This is despite the very confusing mg dosing on the bottles. <\/strong><\/p>\n When you arrive at the vitamin isle there are several options but these are the two most common. I have included the prescription form (potassium chloride) as well for comparison.<\/p>\n To make this even more confusing you can find the above options in various different mg presentations. The supplement makers make very little effort to clarify the actual mEq of potassium. In fact I couldn’t find one that did. This is annoying, and makes me wonder who the heck is behind he packaging of these.<\/p>\n Anyway here is my breakdown:<\/p>\n Of note: on Amazon you will find potassium iodide (think Chernobyl) and powdered forms of all of the above. This can be a good options if you need higher doses. For example one teaspoon of potassium gluconate powder is equal to 540mg, or again, roughly 2.53 mEq.<\/p>\n [note color=”#ffeda3″]This is what you need to know: You will get roughly 3% of your daily potassium allotment in one tab if you purchase either: Potassium Gluconate 550 mg \/ 595 mg Tablet<\/a><\/strong> or Potassium Citrate 99 mg Capsules<\/a> They are essentially the same thing! This is the max dose sold in OTC tablet form in the US. Do not get confused by potassium gluconate labeling: 595, 550, 99 mg are all essentially the same thing! <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>[\/note]<\/p>\n So how much potassium is in the elusive potassium rich banana?<\/strong><\/p>\n [spoiler title=”Click here to reveal the answer?” open=”0″ style=”2″]12 mEq (Not bad that is equal to almost 5 tabs of Potassium Gluconate)[\/spoiler]<\/p>\n Here is Tim’s list of slow-carb options, in descending order of concentration.<\/p>\n Tim’s recommendation of potassium: 4,700 mg per day recommended for an average, healthy 25-year-old male.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is a more comprehensive list from the Mayo Clinic:<\/p>\n I posted another list a while back here<\/a>.<\/p>\n So there you have it. I hope I haven’t confused you more.<\/p>\n\n
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Whole Food Sources of Potassium:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\n Food (amount)<\/td>\n Milligrams
\nof potassium<\/td>\nMilliequivalents
\nof potassium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n Acorn squash, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n896<\/td>\n 23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Potato with skin, baked
\n(1 long)<\/td>\n844<\/td>\n 22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Spinach, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n838<\/td>\n 21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lentils, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n731<\/td>\n 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kidney beans, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n713<\/td>\n 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Split peas, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n710<\/td>\n 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n White navy beans, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n669<\/td>\n 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Butternut squash, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n583<\/td>\n 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Watermelon
\n(1\/16)<\/td>\n560<\/td>\n 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Raisins
\n(\u00bd cup)<\/td>\n553<\/td>\n 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Yogurt, low-fat, plain
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n531<\/td>\n 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Orange juice, frozen
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n503<\/td>\n 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Brussel sprouts, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n494<\/td>\n 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Zucchini, cooked, sliced
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n456<\/td>\n 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Banana
\n(medium)<\/td>\n451<\/td>\n 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Collards, frozen, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n427<\/td>\n 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cantaloupe
\n(\u00bc)<\/td>\n412<\/td>\n 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Milk, low-fat 1%
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n348<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Broccoli, frozen, cooked
\n(1 cup)<\/td>\n332<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n