Potassium in diet

• potassium is present in all animal and plant tissues
  • major dietary sources include:
    • milk (1.4-1.5 mg/kg)
    • fruit and vegetables (0.8-4.4 mg/kg)
    • fish (1.9-3.5 mg/kg)
    • shellfish (0.3 to 3.9 mg/kg)
    • beef (2-3.5 mg/kg)
    • chicken and turkey (3 mg/kg)
    • liver is also a rich source of potassium (2.5 to 4.2 mg/kg).

Potassium chloride is used in fertilisers and plant nutrients and thus may increase the potassium content of plants.

A list of high potassium containing foodstuffs is presented below (2):

Drinks

• fruit and vegetable juices
• coffee
• milk or milky drinks
• beer, cider, lager, sherry, wine

Fruit

• all dried fruit
• bananas, mango, grapes, apricots, rhubarb, fresh grapefruit, pineapple

Vegetables

• tomatoes, beetroot, plantain, mushrooms, sweet corn, avocadoes, aubergine, parsnip, spinach

Sweets

• chocolate, toffee, black treacle
• marzipan

Snacks

• all nuts
• all potato crisps
• Bombay mix

Potatoes - baked or roast potatoes, chips

Reference:

(1) Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals. Safe Upper Levels for Vitamins and Minerals. May 2003. Available from https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vitmin2003.pdf. (Accessed 31/05/24)

(2) UK Kidney Association. Foods High in Potassium. 2021. Available https://ukkidney.org/sites/renal.org/files/radar/RDG_docs/High%20Mg%20and%20K%20foods%202021.pdf. (Accessed 31/05/24)