What is the importance of potassium in food science?

In general, potassium doesn't have a great deal of importance in food science. It is not extremely common in most ingredients and does not play a large functional role in most cases. There are a couple of exceptions. read more

(Scientists currently debate how much sodium intake affects blood pressure and heart health, or whether the sodium-potassium ratio is more important). Public health officials need to work to get the word out about potassium, Wassertheil-Smoller said. read more

So, without potassium your whole body would be in a bit of a pickle. It’d be like trying to Instagram an obviously super important photo of your dinner, but without any internet access. The horror. It makes sense, then, that a serious lack of potassium (called hypokalemia) would give you some serious problems. read more

Food is needed by the human body for energy, to repair and build cells and to prevent sickness and heal from it. While it is possible to obtain nutrients in a scientifically controlled manner, common food is the most efficient way of obtaining energy and nutrients. read more

Potassium is also a necessary nutrient for life; as an electrolyte, it conducts electric signals in the body; along with sodium, it's crucial for proper muscle contraction. The drug potassium chloride is commonly used to treat potassium deficiency, but the dose makes the poison: Potassium chloride has also been used in lethal injections. read more

Potassium is widely distributed in natural foods. A serving of a medium size of banana contains about 490mg of Potassium. Among the many rich sources of Potassium are legumes, whole grains, oranges, avocado, broccoli and green leafy vegetables. read more