Potassium in diet

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Potassium in diet

Alternative Names:

Diet - potassium

Recommendations:

The recommended daily allowance for potassium is 3.5 grams per day. The average American diet provides 2 to 6 grams of potassium per day.

Over-the-counter potassium supplements provide 99 milligrams of potassium per tablet. It would require 35 tablets to meet the recommended daily allowance. Supplementation is not recommended without specific approval and instruction from your doctor.

Certain patients being treated for hyperkalemia, usually due to diuretics or specific diseases, are given very specific potassium supplementation regimens by their doctor, based on their individual needs.

Review Date: 12/22/2005
Reviewed By: William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Director ICU Quality Improvement, Critical Care Division, Baystate Medicine Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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