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Potassium deficiency


Question
I have very low potassium 2.9 and by taking potassium pills
prescribed by a doctor and still not helping seems like I
loose the potassium every time I urine.

Answer
Dear Danny,

Potassium is found in many protein sources, like red meat and poultry, or soy, and oily and white fish (halibut, mackarell, salmon, snapper, cod),  shell fish as well as dairy products and nuts. Yeast extract, tea and coffee are also rich in  potassium. Many vegetables contain potassium, especially tomatoes, potatoes, yams, pumpkins leeks, french beans, peas, avocados, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, kale, beet greens, parsnips, artichoke, pulses and legumes. Also look to fruits: bananas, kiwi, orange, watermelons, and dried fruit, such as raisins, prunes and apricots are all high in potassium.

However, it is of the optimum importance to FIRST trace the root cause of this hypokalemia. Simply eating more high-potassium foods will fail to remedy the situation while the problem remains untreated or left to worsen. It makes a difference to how to go about dealing with the problem, depending on this cause. I hope your doctor has located the cause (even if he may not be treating it, rather the symptom, instead), be it medication/heavy supplements (diuretics, corticosteroids), a kidney disorder, heart problems, or severely disturbed eating habits due to mental or physical disorders, or any number of other organic pathologies.

Simply pumping up the levels by artificial means (supplements) will never work as a cure if there is a (chronic) underlying condition. Only after a serious bout of malnutrition, a long-term illness,or  major surgery can such a supplement successfully give you an initial boost to restore normal levels. This must be done whilst you resume normal, healthy, balanced, eating (which almost always contains sufficient potassium, very easily). If you were not eating properly, however, I would think there would be other serious deficiencies, too, which would cause symptoms and require full diagnosis.

It sounds to me that in your instance it is a case of excessive excretion of potassium rather than an insufficient intake. This points to a fundamental organic imbalance of your kidney system. Many things could be causing this and it will take a urologist to identify what. If you are a diabetic (or glucose intolerant) then there is another thing to take into consideration. Clearly, if the potassium pills have not resolved the situation, your system remains in fairly acute distress, which needs proper diagnosis fast.

Probably superflous to add, but be honest about your current diet, to make sure you are getting enough potassium in 3 natural, fresh, square, well balanced meals. Your body could always find it a lot easier to absorb potassium au naturel than from an (artificial) substitute source (pills). This would point to a vaster metabolic disorder on a more subtle, energetic level. Harder to pin outside Anthroposophical/homeopathic medicine.

I am very glad for you that at least you know your potassium levels are low, to begin with. Double check on the other values of the bloodtests which showed this up: there could be clues amongst them as to what is wrong with you. Or use the original reason for your check-up with your doctor as a starting point for the investigation all the way down to the root cause.

Good luck,


Love, Evelyn.

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