Eating salty foods frequently causes blood vessels to narrow, leading to an increase in blood pressure. This is a factor that raises the risk of various conditions such as hypertension.

Reducing salty foods is important, as is the elimination of sodium from our bodies. Potassium is a nutrient that helps excrete sodium through urine.

Kim Min-jung, a nationally certified nutritionist in the United States, explained, "Potassium is essential for blood pressure regulation, heart health, supporting muscle and nerve function, and maintaining fluid balance," adding that "the recommended daily intake for adults is 3,500 mg."

For the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure, an intake of 3,500 to 5,000 mg of potassium (American Heart Association, AHA) is recommended.

Foods with high potassium awareness include bananas. However, there are many foods that contain more potassium than bananas.

 

Nutritionist Kim Min-jung said, "Prunes (Western dried plums) are a representative food rich in potassium," and also mentioned that "they are abundant in avocados, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, legumes, nuts, and dairy products."

 

Prunes are well known as a food that is good for bone health, but they are also rich in potassium. According to the Food and Drug Administration's food nutrition composition data, a 100g serving (the same standard throughout) of bananas contains 355mg of potassium. According to the USDA data, prunes contain 732mg of potassium, which is about twice as much as bananas. 100g of prunes is approximately 10 pieces.

 

The high potassium content of prunes can be understood when compared to other fruits rich in potassium. The potassium content of avocados is 485 mg. Tomatoes have 250 mg, melons 218 mg, and oranges 152 mg, all of which are less than prunes.

Among vegetables, potatoes are highly regarded. Especially the purple potatoes. The potassium content of purple varieties is 588 mg, while that of Sumi potatoes is 335 mg.

The benefits of potatoes' potassium content were also reported at the recent American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting (NUTRITION 2024). Researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) stated in a paper that "a high-potassium diet is important for the prevention of hypertension and diabetes," and "potatoes are one of the foods rich in potassium and dietary fiber in Western diets." They further explained, "Cooking methods like frying are unhealthy," and recommended "baking and eating with the skin on to preserve as much potassium as possible."

 

Pumpkins are vegetables that contain as much potassium as potatoes. They are also good for reducing swelling. Among the varieties, sweet pumpkin has a higher potassium content than mature pumpkin and zucchini. The potassium content of sweet pumpkin is 412 mg.

 

Legumes are also rich in potassium, especially red beans. The content of dried red beans is 1333 mg. Dried brown lentils also contain 943 mg.

 

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Not only bananas are good for sodium excretion, but also...

Please also take a lot of other fruits and vegetables.