What is potassium? Potassium is taught in chemistry as being represented by the letter K, and actually comes from potash. Potassium is found naturally as an ionic salt, meaning it is found in seawater that has dissolved and is a major part of many different minerals. Potassium is required for all live cells and is found in every plant and animal on earth. Found in much higher concentrations in plants, it is recommended that people eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables to get the required amounts of potassium for a balanced nutrition. If the body does not receive enough potassium through daily diet, there can be many unpleasant side effects. Symptoms of potassium deficiency include weakness and fatigue, muscle spasms, severe headaches, anxiety, even more serious conditions like stroke and heart failure. To avoid these unpleasant things, individuals need to eat plenty of foods rich in potassium.

Potassium rich foods can be easily found at your local grocery, and some are much tastier than others. Foods rich in potassium are thought of as the nasty leafy greens or vegetables no one eats. However, there are quite a few foods high in potassium that are great to eat and easy to prepare. You may be surprised to learn that several of the foods you regularly enjoy are rich in potassium. Here are a few examples of foods that are tasty and easy to make.

1 ounce of raw avocado is worth about 180 mg of potassium, while 1 cup of banana is worth 594 mg. 1 cup of cooked beets or brussel sprouts are worth an average of 515 mg of potassium, and the same serving of cantaloupe is worth almost 500 mg. Since the recommended daily allowance of potassium for a healthy adult is 3500mg, it can be hard to eat as much as you need. Therefore some foods can be used as snacks and also during meals. These include lima beans, which at one cup is worth almost 1,000mg alone. 1 whole nectarine is worth almost 300 mg, and a cup of orange juice is worth almost 500mg. A cup of prune juice is worth about 700mg, and a cup of dried prunes is worth almost 830mg. A cup of cooked spinach is worth almost 840mg, and a simple cup of plain yogurt is worth almost 600 mg a day. Eating only a few of these foods can help you maintain proper healthy amounts of potassium in your body.