Potassium is a mineral which is essential for nutrition. The chemical symbol for potassium is the letter K, named after the Latin word kalium. The word kalium comes from the Arabic word for alkali, which means cooked ashes.

Potassium is the principal positively charged ion inside body’s cells. It plays a major role in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and cell integrity, and is critical to maintaining heartbeat. Sudden death has been known to occur in people who are fasting or have severe diarrhea and it is thought to be caused by heart failure due to potassium loss.

You should try to consume about 4,700 mg of Potassium each day.

Your Potassium Intake

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Your Top Potassium Sources

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Below are the major contributors of Potassium to your diet. This list is based upon the foods you eat the most, not the amount of Potassium per serving (which is shown for reference purposes only).