How much potassium is too much!

[Melindaxl]

I've always ate bananas as my main food! I mean I eat like 10-15 bananas a day (sometimes 18) with about 5% of greens and other fruits that is in season as snacks! my snack fruits most of the time is melons! I love them too! what would be considered too much potassium because I ran into a friend I graduated with and she told me too much potassium can kill you! I was thinking if so it sure hasn't killed me yet! I thought what in the world are these Medical Doctors telling people! Anyway I just wanted to know if that's really true! I know I'm not eating too much because I go by Dr. Douglas Graham 80/10/10 and he recommends 5-15 a day or more if needed! Anyways thanks in advance! Have a great raw day!

Melindaxl

[RawChicky]

I know I just started eating more bananas and my brother said too much potassium can makes your heart stop! I read this on a website:

Can You Have Too Much or Too Little?
People with chronic diseases or seniors may experience hypokalemia, or potassium deficiency. Potassium depletion may also be caused by vomiting, diarrhea or use of diuretic or cortisone medications. Symptoms of potassium deficiency include fatigue, slow reflexes, muscle weakness and dry skin. If potassium levels are depleted quickly, a person could experience heart problems. If potassium levels are not replenished quickly, a person could suffer heart failure and even death.

Too much potassium can lead to hyperkalemia, or increased potassium levels in the blood. People with kidney problems or severe infection may suffer from increased potassium levels.

Taking more minerals than you need won't make you healthier. In some cases, taking too much of a mineral can make it hard for your body to absorb other vitamins. But you don’t want to be deficient in minerals, either. You can avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies by eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, protein sources, whole grains and dairy products every day.

From this, it doesn't seem like eating a ton of bananas will really negatively affect your health

[Melindaxl]

Thanks! For what your telling me it sounds like I'm not getting enough then. Because I'm curing a disease right now, Epilepsy. I've been having weak muscles for the past few months or so finding it hard to exercise! I always tried to exercise everyday! Plus I've had some really dry skin problems on certain areas on my body! So I'm going to try to increase the amount! Thanks again!

Melindaxl

[honeybee joy]

Here is a link that has info on foods high in potassium:

http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=dce59228-1023-4705-b1c7-b407be7b4fc6&chunkiid=111893

[honeybee joy]

Here is some info about potassium. It seems like what it says is that they kidneys will filter out too much potassium, unless you have kidney failure.


It has alot more info than that. Here it is:

http://www.davita.com/articles/diet_nutrition/?id=479

[juliebove]

Bananas are not the highest in potassium of all foods. Why people seem to think this is beyond me. It's also very easy to tell if you are getting too much potassium by a simple blood test.

[honeybee joy]

http://www.ithyroid.com/potassium.htm

[Lay-Lay]

I think doctors mean if you are taking potassium supplements too much. My moms doctor put her on potassium and said not to take too much because it can stop your heart.

He said if you would just eat potassium rich foods that it would be better and you won't have to worry about a overdose. Do you believe she choose to take the pill, LOL!

To each their own.

[Draginvry]

I eat bananas all the time. I'm not dead yet.

That's proof enough for me.

[lissomllama]

Ok, first of all, most of these statistics are based on synthetic potassium suppliments. Of course, taking too many (especially synthetic) suppliments can cause problems mainly because pills don't usually get fully absorbed so there is an excess and of course, it isn't natural. Also, remember that fruit is mostly composed of water. So, really, you don't get that much potassium in a banana. Another thing to considder is that most of these studies are based on cooked diets and supplimentayion so we really don't know how accurate they are. Bottom line: Raw is completely different from cooked in every way, so there is no reason to apply cooked rules/assumptions to the world's best lifestyle. Finally, it is common sense not to eat only one thing every single day. Variety is very important and problems can arise from eating only bananas, of course. But if you feel good and healthy, that is the real truth here. I think it would be difficult to overdose on bananas, so I wouldn't stress about it and don't let cooked people try to tell you anything about nutrition because as such, they obviously don't know too much. No offense to any cooked eaters, but it is a simple truth. People who know better and are compelled (in a nutritional sense) will generally be some form of raw. This is how I feel, anyway.

[Draginvry]

I agree that a study using potassium supplements on subjects on the Standard American Diet are probably not applicable to the effects of bananas on a raw-fooder.

In fact, I don't think any study on a SADer would be very applicable to a raw-fooder. In other words, 90% of the nutrition studies ever conducted.

[Melindaxl]

Thanks everyone for your help and support! It really helped! Thanks also for those websites! You all are right! People that eat cooked food and not hardley any raw fruits and vegetables don't know what their talking about! My friend that tried to convence me that I was eating too much potassium, all that was in her cart was tv dinners! What does that say!!! Thanks again everyone, have a great fruitful day!

Melindaxl

[faith4u]

Raw is completely different from cooked in every way, so there is no reason to apply cooked rules/assumptions to the world's best lifestyle.

I totally agree with you. You just can't apply what Dr.'s or anyone else says to us when we eat a raw diet vs. cooked. It changes everything!!

[rawcenter]

Very well said lissomllama =)

[honeybee joy]

I just wanted to add, that I was at Whole Foods, and there is this raw vegan guy that works there that always has all of this interesting information about the raw lifestyle, and he said that you can overdose on potassium supplements, but on raw food, I believe he said it was impossible. He also said that seedless grapes with spike a persons blood sugar, but the seeded ones won't.