Muscle cramps are a common complaint among my family and friends, especially those stabbing pains that come on in the middle of the night and force you to stagger out of bed and walk them off. If you are suffering from muscle cramps, it is possible you aren't getting enough potassium. Here are the facts about this essential mineral, and some surprising foods that can interfere with potassium levels..
What exactly is potassium, and how do our bodies use it?
Potassium is one of the most basic elements that make up matter on this earth, and one of the minerals we need to get in our diets to stay alive. It is an electrolyte, meaning it turns into charged ions when it is in a solution (body fluids) and can conduct electricity. Potassium is a positively charged ion with a higher concentration inside cells. The body keeps a tight control on levels of sodium and potassium in and out of cells, as this affects nerve transmissions, muscle contractions and heart function.
Industrialized cultures tend to eat about 3 times more sodium than potassium, while primitive diets had a much lower amount of sodium than potassium. This change in the relative amounts of these electrolytes may account for some of the diseases we experience today. Very low levels of potassium are known as hypokalemia, and can be caused by severe vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems, use of diuretics or laxatives, anorexia or alcoholism. Symptoms of low potassium include weakness, tiredness and cramping in the arms and legs, abdominal cramping and bloating, nausea, heart palpitations, fainting and abnormal psychological behaviour. Severe symptoms should be treated by a doctor.
So why not just pop a potassium supplement every day?
High potassium supplements can have serious side effects, and should only be taken under a doctor's supervision. For this reason supplements in the US are only allowed to include up to 99 mg potassium in a serving. Too much potassium is called hyperkalemia, and can be just a serious as very low levels. Symptoms of hyperkalemia are tingling of hands and feet, muscle weakness, temporary paralysis, abnormal heart rhythm and cardiac arrest.
How can you get the potassium you need to get rid of those leg cramps? Foods high in potassium include bananas, prunes, baked potatoes with the skin, orange juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, raisins, blackstrap molasses (read the labels as some have more potassium than others), spinach, squash, lima beans and almonds. Unless you have severe symptoms and are under a doctors care, the best thing to do is include at least one or two of these foods in your diet every day, and eat a variety of other fruits and vegetables as well. It can be as simple as adding a banana or a spoonful of blackstrap molasses to your diet. Also avoid foods such as Earl Grey tea and licorice, which can interfere with the way your body uses potassium.
What do Earl Grey tea and licorice have to do with potassium?
If you are a tea drinker and love Earl Grey tea as much as I do, you may be surprised to learn that it can cause low levels of potassium. Oil of Bergamot, the flavoring in Earl Grey, contains a substance called bergapten, which is a potassium channel blocker and interferes with the flow of potassium in and out of cells. In April 2002, the Lancet reported a case study of high intake of Earl Grey tea causing muscle cramps and problems with vision. The symptoms disappeared when the subject cut down on the amount of Earl Grey that he was drinking every day.
Eating large amounts of black licorice as a habit can also lead to low potassium levels. Black licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizic acid that increases output of potassium in the urine. The culprit is actually an herb called licorice, that is used to flavor some kinds of red and black licorice. The herb licorice has been used to treat coughs, cold, ulcers and stomach problems, and is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with anti-tumour activity. However it shouldn't be used on a long term basis or by pregnant women or people with heart conditions, as it can deplete your potassium stores.
For more information about potassium, the essential elements and nutrition in general, visit Thirdplanetfood.com.
More about potassium from Linus Pauling Institute.
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