Know about the High-Potassium foods to avoid

If you have been advised to follow a low-potassium diet, you need to know about high-potassium foods to avoid them.

This generally happens when one suffers from renal insufficiency. Because of this, potassium builds up in their blood since their kidneys are unable to handle it effectively. It might be fatal if your blood begins to accumulate too much potassium.

Doctors frequently prescribe drugs that raise potassium levels to treat kidney illness. You might experience weariness or nausea if you have too much potassium in your body. If your potassium level jumps suddenly, you may experience breathing problems, chest pain, or palpitations. This disorder, known as hyperkalemia, necessitates intensive medical attention.

Before things get out of hand, it is advised to learn about high-potassium foods to avoid and cut them from your diet.

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Diet to Lower Potassium: List of High-Potassium Foods to Avoid

There are numerous benefits of potassium to our health, including a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases. Everything from heart and kidney function to muscle control depends on it in your body. However, consuming too much potassium might lead to health issues.

Many foods contain potassium, which is also accessible as supplements. But in the case of hyperkalemia, you must be aware of high-potassium foods to avoid them.

Check out the list:

1) Bananas

When people consider foods high in potassium, bananas frequently come to mind. The potassium content of a medium banana is roughly 422 mg. For fruit, bananas are a favorite of athletes. They are a simple and effective way to replace the potassium your body loses when you exercise a lot. This is why bananas top the list of high-potassium foods to avoid.

Bananas contain very high amounts of potassium. (Image via Pexels/ Luis Quintero)

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2) Milk

Milk has a lot of potassium. Even fat-free or low-fat milk has a higher potassium content. Despite the popularity of low-potassium drinks like coffee, you should be extremely cautious about how much you consume. 116 mg of potassium is present in one cup of black coffee, so milk is sure to be added to the list of high-potassium foods to avoid. Thus, limit your daily consumption to two cups.

Potassium levels are also high in dairy products, including yogurt, cream cheese, and ice cream. Throw away all of these items and substitute low-potassium sweets like yellow cake or angel food.

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3) Leafy greens

Even though leafy greens are good for you, they are included in high-potassium foods to avoid. Spinach has 420 milligrams of potassium per half cup. Bok choy and beet greens also have increased potassium content.

Leafy greens must be avoided if you follow a low-potassium diet. (Image via Unsplash/ Christina Rumpf)

You can take lettuce in moderation because one cup of it only has about 100 milligrams of potassium in it. You can add alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, broccoli, and celery as garnishes to the salad. They all have lower potassium content.

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4) Lentils

Another addition to high-potassium foods to avoid is lentils. One cup of cooked lentils provides 730 milligrams of potassium, or roughly 16 percent of your daily requirements, for your meal.

At about 300 and 400 milligrams per serving, respectively, other legumes, including kidney beans and soybeans, are likewise high in potassium.

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5) Dried apricots

While many fruits are high in potassium, drying them increases the number of minerals they contain. At about 755 milligrams, a half-cup of dried apricots provides nearly one-third of a woman's daily needs. The calories and sugars in each serving rise as a result of drying. So, dried apricots also enter the list of high-potassium foods to avoid.

Hopefully, this list will help you maintain a low-potassium diet.