In addition to Calcium, Potassium is Another Essential Element for the Elderly – Adequate Supplementation Reduces Diseases
While potassium-rich foods are recommended for supplementation, such as bananas, taro, and sweet potatoes, it is crucial to maintain a balanced intake and consult with a doctor before considering potassium supplements.
We are all aware that as people age, various bodily functions decline, and essential elements are gradually lost without our awareness. Negligence in daily life can trigger a series of diseases, often attributed to calcium deficiency, leading many to excessively supplement calcium without significant results. However, when the body encounters issues, it may not just be a lack of calcium but could also be due to a deficiency in potassium.
Potassium, as a vital element alongside calcium, holds equal if not more importance. Potassium not only prevents the loss of calcium from the body but also plays a preventive role in certain chronic diseases such as hypertension, contributing to blood pressure regulation. A deficiency in potassium may manifest in various symptoms.
Symptoms of Potassium Deficiency:
- Fatigue:
The most common symptom of potassium deficiency is fatigue. The lack of potassium prevents organs and cells from efficiently maintaining the body’s vitality, resulting in fatigue. - Mental and Cognitive Impairments:
Potassium deficiency may lead to a decline in mental alertness, overall weakness, confusion, and, in severe cases, hallucinations, possibly contributing to the onset of depression. - Muscle Issues:
Potassium deficiency hampers muscle excitability, disrupting normal contraction and relaxation activities. Muscle cramps, particularly in the legs, become common, often mistaken for calcium deficiency. - Digestive Problems:
Inadequate potassium levels hinder intestinal peristalsis, leading to decreased digestive function. Prolonged deficiency can cause constipation, loss of appetite, and vomiting. - Cardiac Impact:
Potassium deficiency can adversely affect the heart, resulting in abnormal heartbeats, dizziness, fainting, and, in severe cases, ventricular fibrillation.
Furthermore, potassium deficiency can impact mental health, causing restlessness, confusion, and other neurological issues.
Groups that Also Require Potassium Supplementation:
- Hypertensive Individuals:
Potassium supplementation is crucial for those with hypertension. Similar to the importance of limiting sodium intake, potassium helps maintain vascular smoothness, reducing blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular diseases. It is essential for hypertensive individuals taking antihypertensive medications to maintain optimal potassium levels between 3.5-5.5mmol/L. - Those Prone to Vomiting or Diarrhea:
Conditions like frequent vomiting or diarrhea result in potassium loss. Timely medical examination is necessary in such cases to avoid low potassium levels below 3.5mmol/L, leading to hypokalemia. - Regular Medication Users:
As people age, the likelihood of diseases increases, and medications become a common means to alleviate symptoms. Patients with conditions like heart disease or diabetes, especially those with diuretic medications, may experience significant potassium loss. It is essential to monitor and maintain potassium levels to prevent complications. - Heavy Sweaters:
Individuals who sweat excessively tend to lose a substantial amount of water and potassium through sweat, potentially causing potassium deficiency.
While potassium-rich foods are recommended for supplementation, such as bananas, taro, and sweet potatoes, it is crucial to maintain a balanced intake and consult with a doctor before considering potassium supplements. Excessive potassium intake can also be harmful, possibly causing symptoms like sensitivity to cold or nausea. Therefore, understanding the importance of potassium and adopting a balanced diet is crucial for overall health, especially for individuals aged 60 and above. Regular health check-ups and targeted supplementation based on individual needs are advisable to mitigate potential health risks effectively.
Original article by admin, if reproduced, please cite the source as: https://www.tcmha.com/tcmhealthcare/in-addition-to-calcium-potassium-is-another-essential-element-for-the-elderly-adequate-supplementation-reduces-diseases.html
相关推荐
-
The heart is the most important organ. Nurture it in 5 ways!
The heart maintains the most basic life activities and is the head of the five viscera and six internal organs. Once the heart is out of harmony with the qi and blood, the command and control is not normal, it cannot control the internal organs, making the internal organs function disorderly, resulting in abnormal mental consciousness, thus inducing a series of problems, so it is vital to nourish the heart and protect it.
-
What role can traditional Chinese medicine play in women’s health in 2022?
International Women’s Day is right around the corner, so it’s time to talk about women’s health. There are loads of health conditions specific to women out there, and although it’s not a replacement for advice from a medical doctor, many people choose to explore traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in conjunction with Western medicine to help soothe some of the common conditions specific to women around the world. What does TCM believe about women’s health? Most important body processes that women go through in life involve blood (be it menstruation, pregnancy,…
-
How to Eliminate Excessive Dampness in the Body
By incorporating these measures, you can effectively reduce and eliminate excessive dampness in the body. However, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant lifestyle changes or introducing herbal remedies.
-
Decoding the Secret of Natural Herbs that Damage Liver? 5 Types of Chinese Medicine Listed in the “Liver Damage List”!
Chinese herbal medicine is not 100% harmless, and must be used reasonably and under the guidance of a qualified traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.
-
Chinese medicine: Yang deficiency? A bunch of tonic, rather than spring and summer a Chinese herbal medicine, warm Yang, dispel cold, full of Yang
The following symptoms indicate a lack of yang energy, need to be adjusted, while the introduction of a herbal medicine, so that you are full of yang energy. Last week, I saw my junior high school classmate whom I had not seen for many years, wearing thick long sleeves and looking “fat”, I had the impression that he was not so “tough”. So, I joked to: in recent years life is very rich ah, fat …… just, now wear thick long-sleeved is not hot? (The south can wear short sleeves…
-
Chinese medicine treatment for tumors is very important, these 5 considerations should be kept in mind!
It is true that TCM can treat cancer, but TCM is not as miraculous as imagined and cannot play a role in completely curing cancer. Most of the time, it is mainly used as an adjuvant treatment to complement western medicine treatment, which can help prolong the survival period of patients and improve their quality of life.
-
Too busy working always skip breakfast? Beware of gallstones
If you eat breakfast on time, your gallbladder will contract to expel the bile, so you should remember to eat breakfast no matter how busy you are.
-
Cough season is on its way! Find the right medicine for your cough symptoms in 5 steps!
Pay more attention to climate change and keep warm. Drink plenty of plain water, stay away from fatty, fatty and spicy foods, refuse to smoke or drink alcohol, and do not expose yourself to irritating gases; eat more foods with lung-nourishing properties, such as loquat, lily, yam, and radish. Take part in more exercises to strengthen your resistance; keep massaging the foot at San Li and Ying Xiang points.
-
Overthinking, anxiety… Does Chinese medicine conditioning have a trick?
Traditional Chinese medicine says: excessive thinking can hurt the heart and spleen, causing palpitation, insomnia and dreams, appetite loss, general fatigue, and fatigue, in this case, you can try to use traditional Chinese medicine conditioning.
-
Do you really know how to sleep? Chinese medicine teaches you to sleep for health
According to the seasonal changes and the specific situation of individuals to develop a system of work and rest in line with physiological needs, and develop the habit of working and resting on time, can keep the physiological functions of the human body in good condition.
