Dear Doctors: I am interested in the DASH diet you mentioned recently. Could you list some of the types of vegetables and fruits that are rich in potassium and the amount needed daily to meet the potassium requirements?
Dear Reader: The DASH diet is an eating plan designed to help prevent high blood pressure. Also known as hypertension, this is when the higher-than-normal force of blood against your artery walls strains the heart. Over time, this damages the circulatory system. People with chronic high blood pressure have increased risk of developing heart disease, kidney disease or kidney failure, and stroke. Because high blood pressure can impede blood flow to the brain, it may also play a role in cognitive decline and increase the risk of other neurodegenerative complications.
When it comes to nutrition, we tend to think of high blood pressure exclusively in terms of excess sodium. However, potassium, another essential mineral, plays an equally important role. Sodium and potassium are both electrolytes. That means they carry an electrical charge. Working together in a specific ratio, they regulate fluid balance, nerve function and muscle contraction. Potassium is also key to allowing blood vessels to relax. The ideal ratio between them is two parts potassium to one part sodium. Unfortunately, with modern diets high in processed foods and added salt, the balance often tips the other way. This has contributed to an epidemic of hypertension.
The good news is that a balanced and plant-forward approach, like the DASH diet, can get these two important minerals back into optimal balance. But there is a caveat. The recommended daily intake of potassium is high -- 2,600 milligrams for adult women and 3,400 milligrams for adult men. And this mineral isn’t especially abundant in most foods. That means meeting your daily goal takes awareness and planning. When it comes to specific foods, you'll want to emphasize fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy and some seafood.
Potassium-rich foods include cantaloupe and bananas at 430 mg per cup, dried apricots at 750 mg per half cup, prunes at 370 mg per half cup and a medium-sized avocado (yes, it's a fruit) at 970 mg. In the veggie category, cooked spinach is a hero at 840 mg per cup, cooked beet greens deliver 1,300 mg per cup, Swiss chard is at 960 mg per cup, tomatoes are in the range of 400 to 700 mg per half cup and a medium-sized baked potato with skin has 950 mg.
Cooked salmon and halibut are about 500 mg for three ounces, while three ounces of clams gives you 530 mg. For dairy lovers, one cup of plain (not Greek) yogurt has 570 mg of potassium. For legume lovers, beans deliver about 500 mg of potassium per one-half cup, and nuts and seeds round out at about 200 mg per ounce. Because potassium isn’t concentrated in most foods, getting enough without overdoing calories can be tricky. But with a focus on fruits, vegetables, beans and yogurt, and with the DASH diet as your guide, it’s an achievable -- and worthwhile -- goal.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
