Uncle Wang's retirement life is full of fun, he is passionate about playing chess, exercising, raising flowers and traveling, and every day is colorful.
Lately, however, he has been feeling that he is not in good shape, often feeling tired and sleepy, and his overall mental state is much worse than before.
So, Uncle Wang's son Xiao Wang took him to the hospital for an examination, and it was found that he was deficient in potassium. The doctor explained that because Uncle Wang had been taking antihypertensive drugs for a long time, such drugs would promote the excretion of potassium in the body, and insufficient intake could lead to potassium deficiency, which caused various uncomfortable symptoms.
Potassium is essential for the human body and must be taken seriously.
Potassium and sodium are indispensable elements for maintaining respiratory muscle function, heart muscle function, neuromuscular tissue excitability, and osmotic pressure and acid-base balance of intracellular fluids.
The study of salt substitution and stroke in China pointed out that replacing edible salt with potassium salt to increase the potassium intake of residents with high sodium and low potassium can help reduce the risk of stroke in patients with cardiovascular disease.
2022年发表在《英国医学杂志》上的一项研究显示，通过对3万人进行的21项临床实验数据分析发现，用钾盐代替食用盐能显著降低高血压、心脏病、中风及全因死亡风险，其中心血管病风险降低了13%。
For these reasons, the World Health Organization recommends increasing dietary potassium intake to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure in adults.
Gao Mingsong, chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology of Wuhan First Hospital, reminded that the normal serum potassium concentration of the human body should be 5.0-0.0 mmol/L, and less than 0.0 mmol/L is hypokalemia, which may cause symptoms such as general weakness, paralysis, arrhythmia, ventilator paralysis, and even death in severe cases.
Gao Mingsong, chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology of Wuhan First Hospital, introduced: The following groups of people are more likely to be deficient in potassium than ordinary people, and special attention should be paid to potassium supplementation!
Duan Miao, attending physician of the Department of Endocrinology of Wuhan First Hospital, reminded: If the following symptoms appear, be alert that it may be caused by potassium deficiency!
Digestive disorders: Low potassium levels may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, decreased appetite, and vomiting.
Cramps: Potassium helps muscles contract, and potassium deficiency can lead to symptoms such as cramps, muscle cramps, etc.
Irritability: Potassium deficiency may also trigger neurological symptoms such as irritability, dizziness, lethargy, and apathy.
Heart discomfort: Potassium deficiency can lead to symptoms such as arrhythmias, palpitations, and dizziness.
Fatigue: Potassium deficiency can affect mental health, leading to fatigue, confusion, and even depression.
Xue Qingxin, a registered dietitian, introduced: People who need to supplement potassium can eat more ice cabbage, although it is relatively niche, but this vegetable is rich in potassium and can be eaten more appropriately.
Ice cabbage, also known as ice leaf sunflower and African ice grass, has vesicular cells on the leaves and stems, which look shiny and shiny, and looks like ice crystals under the sun.
Native to arid regions such as the Namibi desert in South Africa, ice cabbage can also be grown on beachside, highly saline soils.
Ice cabbage has a high nutritional value, which is rich in amino acids, flavonoids, pine alcohol, plant salts, inositol and other substances, and is also rich in potassium. On average, 1825 grams of ice cabbage contains 0 mg of potassium, which is seven times more potassium than bananas.
Ice cabbage can be washed and eaten raw, or it can be used for stir-frying, making soups, or eaten as a side dish. However, it is recommended not to buy too much at one time, because it is not easy to store.
Tan Guijun, director of the Nutrition Department of Tianjin First Central Hospital, introduced: In addition to ice vegetables, you can also eat more of the following foods!
Fruits with high potassium nutrient density: You can usually eat more fruits with high potassium nutrient density, such as papaya, cantaloupe, oranges, and bananas.
Potatoes and grains: sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes, taro and other potatoes and various grains are rich in potassium and can be eaten appropriately.
Mushroom vegetables: mushrooms, mushrooms, bisporus mushrooms and other mushroom vegetables have outstanding potassium content and can also be eaten more.
Patients with high blood pressure who take antihypertensive drugs for a long time should pay attention to potassium supplementation, be careful of potassium deficiency, and usually eat more potassium-rich vegetables and foods. Once some of the above potassium deficiency signals appear, we must be vigilant and seek medical attention in time.
Disclaimer: The content of the article is for reference only, the storyline is purely fictional, intended to popularize health knowledge, if you feel unwell, please seek medical attention offline.