Experience Licensed Naturopathic Physician for 8 years
Currently: Assistant Professor of Naturopathic Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL
Organizations American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, member
Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians, member and Secretary
Education/Credentials Bastyr University, doctor of naturopathic medicine
University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine, residency in family and integrated medicine
I have been studying a bit, on the internet that is, concerning sodium/potassium imbalance as I would like to intake more potassium and less sodium.
I discovered an article on Dr. Passwater.com where Dr. Passwater was interviewing Dr. Richard Moore. Below is an excerpt from that article:
"Moore: Let me give you a very interesting statistic. In 1985, The New England Journal of Medicine published an article titled "Paleolithic Nutrition." The authors, who had credentials as anthropologists specializing in the Paleolithic era, determined that, on average, our caveman forebears got around 11,000 mg of potassium daily and about 700 mg of sodium. This, by the way, is about the same ratio that modern-day hunter / gatherers have. It works out to a dietary K Factor of 15.7."
"Today, in the United States, that 11,000 mg has shrunk to 2,500 mg of potassium."
I also read where the avg. present day intake of sodium I believe has increased to between 3000 and 4500 mgs.
I have also read in other articles on the net where we should be getting at least 4500 mgs. of potassium/day.
I've also read where one cannot purchase a potassium pill supplement above 99 mgs. per tablet. I asked the pharmacist at Wal-Mart tonight why this is so. He stated that potassium is good but in higher limits can affect heart contraction and one needs to consult their physician. Could it be possible though, that our ancient ancestors were actually ingesting a normal value of potassium at 11,000 mgs./day but some may have suffered heart problems at these seemingly higher levels?
If, in fact, our paleolithic ancestors were getting as high as 11,000 mgs. of potassium daily, then shouldn't we in the present day be ingesting the equivalent amount since, as Dr. Moore asserts, we are still genetically predisposed to metabolizing nutrients/foods in much the same way as our ancient ancestors?
I'll go with what the doctors advise. That brings up one more question. How would one safely and correctly determine the correct amount of potassium that each individual needs without under or overdoing it? Is this value given in the blood work of a normal routine physical exam or does this necessitate a more expensive and elaborate testing procedure?
Thank you for taking the time and concern to review my issue and I look forward to hearing your professional reply.
Sincerely,
Mike E.
Answer Hello Mike,
Thanks for your interesting question. This is an area that needs more attention, the role of the potassium/ sodium ratio in disease prevention. Yes, our ancestors had a higher potassium/ sodium ratio than we do, because of whole foods organic diets high in vegetables, fruits, grass-fed meats, fish, nuts, seeds, grains, with no processed foods or added salt, the primary sources of sodium in modern diets. The safest way overall to have a adequate intake of potassium is to eat foods higher in potassium & lower in sodium, avoid the loss through medications or fluid loss, and ensure optimal digestion. It's not clear that supplements will do the same thing, but it is clear that high doses of synthetic potassium can cause arrhythmias, cramps, and other issues, which is why there is a regulation on the amounts available in OTC supplements. Finding how much potassium each individual needs would be optimal, but there is no testing that can determine that currently. Typical potassium blood tests look for overt pathology, not optimal function. Urine potassium over 24 hours may be a better test and potassium red blood cell is the most accurate for finding out tissue stores, but is hard to find. This would need to be through a specialty lab that holistic MDs or naturopathic doctors use. And even then, it might be of limited use because we don't know what is the range for optimal function.
In health,
Dr Conner
