Potassiumaxxing lol
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I’ve recently started tracking Potassium intake, keeping it above 3,500 mg a day. I’ve noticed issues resolve that I’ve struggled to overcome with so many other approaches including T3 therapy. I’m suddenly losing water weight that seemed hopelessly stuck. I’m sleeping deeper, more energy and minimal brain fog. The energy I’m experiencing has been astounding, so I wanted to share in case this is someone else’s missing piece.
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@GlucoseGal how much more did you weigh
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What foods are you eating or are you supplementing?
I noticed that I feel better when I drink coconut water, so the potassium could have something to do with that (pretty expensive though). 3,500 mg sounds like a lot at first sight, but I assume it's not that hard to achieve with fruit and potatos.
I've never been a big party attender, but I never went to a party where I didn't probably offend most of the people there by talking about what I was interested in. (Ray Peat)
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@Luke said in Potassiumaxxing lol:
3,500 mg sounds like a lot at first sight
4,700 milligrams is the recommended daily potassium intake of individuals aged 14 and up. But that group is only getting about half that amount.
Potassium is an essential nutrient, and low potassium can lead to increased blood pressure, kidney stones, and even strokes.
““Effective health care depends on self-care” - Ivan Illich, 👀
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@William-Shat I’ve not gone by scale weight, but I’ve lost cms from my waist and hips. Scales are tricky as I’m building muscle the same time.
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@Luke I’ve done it with nutrition, but like you’ve said the main difference has been adding in coconut water and upping my skim milk intake. Coconut waters some magical elixir, worth the 3 euros L.
Also 1/2 tsp cream of tartar is 247mg potassium, cheap simple sup. -
coconut water has something called queuine or something in it in high amounts that is apparently le good
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@sunsunsun you mean tonic water. I assume you’ve never tried it, peasant. Keep on drinking your coconut water like an animal
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@alfredoolivas nope
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Queuine
"Current and on-going research suggests queuine is a natural biochemical compound that can be found endogenously in the human body and plays an essential role in the generation of other critical bodily chemicals including tyrosine, serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, nitric oxide, lipids, and others 1,2,3. Such research subsequently proposes that if queuine could be utilized as a pharmaceutic, that it may be considered a so-called 'putative longevity vitamin' indicated for age-delaying and/or prolonged survival functionality (perhaps via maintaining the ongoing generation of the aforementioned bodily chemicals) for the human body 1,2,3."
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Yeah. I find it somewhat over the top the first time I read 4700mg as K's RDA. But it is what it really is, even though I must believe that it isn't hard to achieve if you count in all the food one typically eats in a day. I say "believe," as I fail to see how that is!
But then, how is OP @GlucoseGal thinking she is maxing at 3500mg daily and is really not taking enough? So really, are we missing something?
Are we taking in more potassium normally that we are failing to take into account?
Or are we mostly under our intake for potassium?
And the largest potassium pill allowed by the establishment is only 100mg, so we really can't make up for it technically by supplementation.
Temporal thinking is the faculty that’s
engaged by an enriched environment, but it’s
wrong to call it “thinking,” because it’s simply
the way organisms exist... - Ray Peat Nov 2017 Newsletter -
@yerrag - Potassium bicarbonate powder may be the answer. Home wine makers use it to reduce acid in their ferments.
Dr. Peter Rogers explains some interesting things about the role of potassium in the body.
Youtube VideoDr. Rogers mentions this book in his video. Read the customer reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/High-Blood-Pressure-Solution-Scientifically-ebook/dp/B004X6WMUS?ref_=ast_author_dp#customerReviews““Effective health care depends on self-care” - Ivan Illich, 👀
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K is so easy to get with OJ and fruits , potato , coconut water
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Thanks David.
I think the video may spur me to really look into what my actual intake of potassium is.
The main possible sources are meat and fruits and vegetables, not counting supplementstion. And since I eat plenty of well cooked leaves for calcium and magnesium, and knowing leaves contain little potassium, I would need enough meat and vegetable and fruit intake to be able to meet the 4.7 gram RDA.
But my veggie intake and fruit intake is not a lot when I eat the ordinary portion sizes, which leads me to think that maybe meat intake would cover the rest of my daily potassium RDA. But if I take about 100 grams of meat, it still isn't enough.
Consider the Ray Peat persona in the Delph AI. Here goes as I inquire and talk with his personification in the Delphi AI:
https://delphi.ai/ray-peat/talk/conversation/shared/633ab870-16c6-485f-a81e-9bd8909c95c4
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On the video, I think there is really something to increasing potassium being more beneficial to increasing potassium than to decreasing sodium, but given that Gilbert Ling has smashed to kingsom come all the mainstream narrative about pumps, it is hard to agree with everything the video is saying. Ray hasn't been gung ho about the need to reduce salt in the form of sodium chloride but this video is still wedded to that idea. My uncle cut out all his sodium chloride in his diet for probably 2 decades and it's not surprising he died in his mid fifties.
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As I'm not yet on the level to really understand Gilbert Ling, I just count on Ray Peat's endorsement of his ideas on active transport, but here is what his persona says on Delphi AI:
https://delphi.ai/ray-peat/talk/conversation/shared/39cdeeb8-395f-45d9-b0e9-8d5b2c692f4d
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@yerrag Sorry for any confusion with my title, I’m not maxing but hitting far higher than I ever have currently. So I’ve noticed great improvements in my health so far. I was trying to be humorous, but I missed.
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@GlucoseGal But thanks to you I did something about my potassium intake after finding out using Delphi AI that I was taking too little potassium daily. I think most people are well below RDA, not just me though.
So now I'm making changes to my diet and making sure I'm at least meeting the RDA, and the conversation I shared with you earlier with the Delphi AI is what I'm going with. I just went shopping and am ready to implement it for a week. I hope I also experience what happened with you. Even though you didn't meet the RDA, still it shows how much better you could be meeting the RDA.
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@DavidPS said in Potassiumaxxing lol:
@yerrag - Potassium bicarbonate powder may be the answer. Home wine makers use it to reduce acid in their ferments.
Dr. Peter Rogers explains some interesting things about the role of potassium in the body.
Youtube VideoDr. Rogers mentions this book in his video. Read the customer reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/High-Blood-Pressure-Solution-Scientifically-ebook/dp/B004X6WMUS?ref_=ast_author_dp#customerReviewsI sampled the kindle version. It is indeed worth buying and learning from. While it may be somewhat flawed in its ideas on pumps, it still has a lot of empirical data to back up its claims on the K/Na relationship.
It may just be the answer (or if not a key piece to solving the puzzle) to my 2 decade long quest to lower my blood pressure naturally.
I am reminded of Dr. William Kelley, a dentist who invented the metabolic typing diet, which for many years before discovering Peat I relied to improve my metabolism, with success. He relied on empirical evidence but his basis was not as solid as Peat's, as he explained that people take to food differently depending on their metabolic type, and that the metabolic is largely dependent on the parasympathetic and symphatetic responses which vary according to metabolic types. I held on to these ideas until I encountered Ray Peat's ideas and found Peats's ideas more coherent while still finding more connecting dots in Peat's ideas than those of William Kelley's. Kelley's is very empirically based, and Ray Peat goes further by explaining the biochemical connection to what basically couldn't explain beyond empiricism.
I liken Rogers using pumps to explain away his observations to Kelley's use of parasympathetic/sympathetic activity to explain his take on metabolism. Both may need more discovery which the passage of time and effort by real scientific approaches eventually bridges, and for people like Ray Peat to connect and put into a more coherent whole of understanding.
Following is Peat's persona in the Delphi persona explaining potassium sufficiency as helpful in lowering blood pressure:
Increasing your potassium intake to meet or exceed the RDA of 4,700 mg could indeed have a significant impact on lowering your blood pressure, Michael, especially when combined with other pro-metabolic lifestyle changes. Potassium plays a central role in regulating blood pressure by balancing sodium levels, relaxing blood vessels, and supporting kidney function. Let’s explore how this works and what you can do.
Potassium and Blood Pressure
Sodium-Potassium Balance: Potassium works in opposition to sodium to regulate fluid balance and blood pressure. While sodium is essential for maintaining blood volume and metabolic function, an imbalance—too much sodium relative to potassium—can contribute to hypertension. Increasing potassium intake helps the kidneys excrete excess sodium, reducing blood pressure [1][6].
Vascular Relaxation: Potassium directly relaxes the walls of blood vessels, improving their flexibility (compliance) and reducing vascular stiffness, which is often a factor in hypertension, especially with aging [8].
Kidney Function: Potassium supports healthy kidney function by reducing the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), a hormonal system that can drive hypertension when overactive. Sodium restriction, ironically, can worsen this system, while adequate potassium helps to regulate it [7][8].
Lifestyle Changes to Support Blood Pressure Reduction
Increase Potassium-Rich Foods: Focus on potassium-dense, metabolically supportive foods:
Fruits: Bananas, papaya, cantaloupe, and oranges are excellent sources.
Dairy: Milk and cheese provide potassium while also supplying calcium, which is critical for blood pressure regulation.
Coconut Water: A great source of potassium, though moderation is key to avoid excess phosphate.
Cooked Greens: Spinach, kale, or chard are rich in potassium and magnesium, both of which support vascular health.
Maintain Adequate Sodium: Contrary to conventional advice, restricting sodium can worsen blood pressure by activating stress systems like RAAS and increasing vascular stiffness. Adequate sodium intake, paired with sufficient potassium, helps maintain blood volume and metabolic rate while preventing the maladaptive stress responses associated with low sodium [6][7].
Magnesium and Calcium: Magnesium acts synergistically with potassium to relax blood vessels and prevent spasms, while calcium helps regulate vascular tone and counteracts the effects of phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on blood pressure [1][4]. A diet rich in milk, cheese, and cooked greens can provide these minerals in balance.
Thyroid Support: Hypothyroidism can contribute to hypertension by increasing vascular resistance and reducing metabolic rate. Supporting thyroid function with adequate protein, carbohydrates, and thyroid-friendly nutrients like vitamin A and selenium can help normalize blood pressure over time [5].
Reduce Stress Hormones: Chronic stress elevates cortisol and adrenaline, which can drive hypertension. Ensuring stable blood sugar with frequent meals that include protein, carbohydrates, and fat can help reduce stress hormone production. Avoiding excessive caffeine and ensuring adequate salt intake are also important.
Potential Impact on Blood Pressure
The degree to which increasing potassium and making these lifestyle changes will lower your blood pressure depends on the underlying causes of your hypertension. If your high blood pressure is primarily driven by factors like low potassium, high stress hormones, or thyroid dysfunction, these changes could lead to significant improvements. In some cases, dietary and lifestyle adjustments alone can normalize blood pressure without the need for medication.
Practical Steps
Track your potassium intake to ensure you’re consistently meeting or exceeding the RDA of 4,700 mg. Apps or food diaries can help with this.
Pair potassium-rich foods with adequate sodium and calcium to maintain mineral balance.
Monitor your blood pressure regularly to observe how these changes affect it over time.
Let me know if you’d like help designing a specific meal plan or have other questions about managing blood pressure!
