I think my body is excreting too much water, sodium & potassium! What can I do?
I am chronically dehydrated even though I drink probably a gallon of water a day. I’ve used unrefined sea salt for years since they say it’s the best for you. Medical lab work have shown that I’m consistently low on potassium, especially in the summer when I perspire a lot, unless I take potassium supplements. My great uncle on my mother’s side, when he died, supposedly had little or no salt (sodium) in his body and that contributed to his death. My father died of pneumonia but he was dehydrated, had little sodium and little potassium in his body at the time. They tried to give him potassium by IV but the doctor said that Dad’s body just wouldn’t accept the potassium. What can I do to make sure I don’t wind up with worse problems than I have?
Filed under: Water
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Additional info:
The Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University recommends getting all your potassium from foods. If you changed your diet to one that would supply you with 8 grams of potassium daily, your body might be able to hang onto it better than with supplements.
Here is what they say:
"The richest sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables. People who eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables have a high potassium intake (8-11 grams/day).
A recent dietary survey in the U.S. indicated that the average dietary potassium intake is about 2,300 mg/day for adult women and 3,100 mg/day for adult men (22).
The potassium content of some relatively potassium-rich foods is listed in milligrams (mg) in the table below. For more information on the nutrient content of foods you eat frequently, search the USDA food composition database.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
FoodServingPotassium (mg)
Banana1 medium467
Potato, baked with skin1 medium721
Prune juice6 fluid ounces530
Prunes, dried1/2 cup633
Orange juice6 fluid ounces354
Orange1 medium237
Tomato juice6 fluid ounces400
Tomato1 medium273
Raisins1/2 cup598
Raisin bran cereal1 ounce437
Artichoke, cooked1 medium425
Lima beans, cooked1/2 cup478
Acorn squash, cooked1/2 cup (cubes)448
Spinach, cooked1/2 cup419
Sunflower seeds1 ounce241
Almonds1 ounce211
Molasses1 tablespoon293
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You are aware of what’s going on and that’s important in helping yourself find a way to beat this problem.
There is a web site: iHerb.com that sells all kinds of vitamins and minerals and also has articles from many sources on health and supplement issues.
Here is a link for a potassium-iodine supplement:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=767&at=0
Servidrat tablets: They are re-hydration tablets which work really well. I don’t know if they are easily available. Ask your pharmacist how to get them.
Info on this site:
http://www.freshpatents.com/Effervescent-rehydrating-beverage-tablet-granules-dt20070315ptan20070059362.php
I am researching potassium deficiency online at this time because I also have a similar condition.
I found this information:
"An abnormally low plasma potassium concentration is referred to as hypokalemia. Hypokalemia is most commonly a result of excessive loss of potassium, e.g., from prolonged vomiting, the use of some diuretics, some forms of kidney disease, or disturbances of metabolism. The symptoms of hypokalemia are related to alterations in membrane potential and cellular metabolism. They include fatigue, muscle weakness and cramps, and intestinal paralysis, which may lead to bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. Severe hypokalemia may result in muscular paralysis or abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias) that can be fatal.
Conditions that increase the risk of hypokalemia:
The use of potassium-wasting diuretics (e.g., thiazide diuretics or furosemide)
Alcoholism
Severe vomiting or diarrhea
Overuse or abuse of laxatives
Anorexia nervosa or bulimia
Magnesium depletion
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
In rare cases, habitual consumption of large amounts of black licorice has resulted in hypokalemia. Licorice contains a compound (glycyrrhizic acid) with similar physiologic effects to those of aldosterone, a hormone that increases urinary excretion of potassium. Low dietary intakes of potassium do not generally result in hypokalemia. However, recent research indicates that insufficient dietary potassium increases the risk of a number of chronic diseases (see Disease Prevention).
In 2004, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine established an adequate intake level (AI) for potassium based on intake levels that have been found to lower blood pressure, reduce salt sensitivity, and minimize the risk of kidney stones (4)."
Adequate Intake (AI) for Potassium
Life Stage Age Males (mg/day) Females (mg/day)
Infants 0-6 months 400 400
Infants 7-12 months 700 700
Children 1-3 years 3000 3000
Children 4-8 years 3800 3800
Children 9-13 years 4500 4500
Adolescents 14-18 years 4700 4700
Adults 19 years and older4700 4700
Pregnancy14-50 years- 4700
Breastfeeding14-50 years- 5100
from:
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/potassium/
The MayoClinic.com also has some info on potassium supplements:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR202473
Info at Wikipedia on Hypokalemia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokalemia
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Seek the advice of a doctor, immediately.
see a doctor. seriously, just tell a doctor your symptoms and family medical history. alternative medicine really only works for trivial stuff like minor pains and aches.
excreting fromm where?