Potato, banana and milk – Surprising health benefits – 2024-04-15 17:15:14

Good sources of potassium are healthy food anyway. Adobe Stock / AOP

When the blood pressure rises above the recommendations, the patient is usually advised to follow a healthy lifestyle, even if medicine is prescribed.

In terms of blood pressure, an important part of lifestyle is the amount of vegetables in the diet, which almost everyone adds without worry.

Vegetables are rich in potassium, which is linked to blood pressure. Eating more vegetables can have a positive effect on weight.

Harvard Health Publishing says that food rich in potassium maintains blood vessel elasticity, which is related to blood pressure. According to research, low potassium intake increases the risk of high blood pressure and the risk of cerebral infarction.

Harvard’s concerns about potassium intake are related to the fact that many Americans have poor potassium intake. The situation is surprisingly different for Finns.

Too much is too much

According to the Terveyskirjasto article, nutritional potassium deficiency is very rare in Finland.

The most common cause of low potassium is the use of some diuretics. The potassium levels of patients using diuretics are monitored regularly.

Low potassium levels are sometimes found as a result of overuse of laxatives or in licorice eaters.

Good sources of potassium include bananas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, milk, kiwi, broccoli, spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

Potassium supplements should only be taken for an established deficiency, not “just to be sure”.

The risk of eating potassium supplements is that the potassium content is too high, which can cause similar problems as too little content, according to the Terveyskirjastø article. Too much potassium intake exposes the heart to disturbances and causes muscle weakness.