Everyone knows bananas have lots of potassium. We know this is good for us. Our mothers told us so.
And it’s true. Potassium is an essential nutrient for all animals. In ion form, (K+) it works with the positive sodium ion (Na+) in cells to help with the passage of electrical impulses such as nerve impulses and muscle contractions. (This is why my mom always told us kids to “eat a banana” if we complained of muscle cramps).
If you are an avid reader of nutrition labels, you probably noticed that potassium is listed above in the main box of nutrients along with protein, fats, carbs and sodium. Other essential vitamins and minerals are listed below. Why? Well, potassium really is that important.
The Institute of Medicine recommends 4,700 mg of potassium daily, which is about 10 bananas or five avocados. But most Americans consume about half this. Severe cases of potassium deprivation, known as hypokalemia, can cause muscle and reflex weaknesses, respiratory paralysis, arrhythmia and sometimes death.
But don’t grab your bottle of supplements to quickly; too much potassium can be just as harmful as not enough. When people are sentenced to death by lethal injection, one of the common substances used is potassium chloride, which slows and eventually stops the heart in large doses. The death is very painful as it suffocates organs and causes a burning sensation in the veins before it makes the heart stop. Subjects are administered anesthesia before given the injection of potassium chloride.
However, the likelihood of overdosing on potassium is slim, so don’t quit eating guacamole or banana bread. Potassium chloride is actually used as a substitute for table salt. Good sources of this essential mineral are oranges, potatoes, avocados, apricots, parsnips, turnips and, of course, bananas.