necrosis / interstitial nephritis, dizziness and vomiting, among others.
While some trials have shown Zinc Lozenges to be able to provide some relief with sore throats, other
studies showed only marginal results with cold-related symptoms, and none in regard to flu symptoms. The
same mixed results can be expected when using extra zinc for the relief of symptoms from herpes, AIDS, or
other infections. Whenever larger amounts of any nutrients (including zinc) are used for the symptomatic relief
of specific medical symptoms, they become drugs, and as such become capable of triggering drug-like side
effects or adverse reactions.
***
Potassium is one of the electrolytes that with sodium is involved in the maintenance of normal water balance,
osmotic equilibrium, acid-base balance, and it is crucial to cardiovascular and nerve functions. It is also the
primary positive cation found within the cells, and along with calcium serves an important role in heart muscle
contractions, skeletal muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmissions, and the release of energy from food.
Potassium is involved as a cofactor in several enzyme systems which include protein synthesis, carbohydrate
metabolism, and it affects uptake of amino acids into cells.
In addition to calcium and magnesium, potassium helps maintain normal Blood Pressure, and next to iron,
potassium is one of the most commonly prescribed minerals, since some amounts are frequently lost when
diuretics (water pills) are prescribed. For the same reason, serum potassium is commonly measured as part
of routine lab tests, although Red Blood Cell Potassium, or Intracellular Potassium (Acu-Cell Analysis) are
much better and more accurate indicators of a patient's true potassium status.
Potassium supplements in health food stores are generally sold as gluconate or citrate, and they are limited
to 100mg (or 99mg) per tablet, while in addition to acetate, bicarbonate or bitartrate, the most common forms
dispensed in pharmacies are potassium chloride and potassium citrate.
Potassium is measured in milliequivalents (mEq), whereby 1mEq equals 75 mg of potassium chloride, and
102 mg of potassium citrate. The amount of elemental potassium contained in a supplement is calculated
by multiplying the mEq by 39, its atomic weight. So a 8 mEq / 600 mg Potassium Chloride tablet provides 312 mg of elemental potassium, while a 25 mEq / 2.5 g Potassium Citrate tablet provides 975 mg of
elemental potassium.
When high-potency potassium chloride tablets are taken, they come in a slow-release form ("Slow K"), since
the high amounts of chloride in the tablets could otherwise trigger gastrointestinal distress or bleeding ulcers.
For the same reason, the tablets should be swallowed whole, and not chewed or cut in half. Those at a higher
risk of developing osteoporosis, but requiring larger daily doses of potassium, are generally advised of taking
"K-Lyte," available at pharmacies, which is an effervescent - and usually flavored form of potassium citrate.
Compared to potassium chloride, it has a more favorable effect on Bone Mineral Density, and other medical
conditions such as Polycystic Kidney Disease, or Kidney Stones.
While potassium chloride is the cheapest form available at pharmacies at about 3.6 ¢ US per 100mg,
potassium citrate purchased at health food stores is about 3.8 ¢ per 100 mg, versus 7.2 ¢ per 100 mg at
pharmacies, depending on the area purchased.
Similarly to zinc, there is no storage of potassium in the body, and it is easily lost in cooking, canning, and
processing of foods. Some is lost through perspiration, and the adrenal hormone aldosterone also stimulates
the elimination of potassium by the kidneys. Individuals with a family history of stroke may want to make sure
that they always meet, or even exceed optimal potassium requirements through diet or supplementation,
particularly when consuming meals containing above-average amounts of sodium - which should be avoided
whenever possible.
All fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts are a good source of potassium, however the potassium / sodium ratio
of these foods varies considerably, which can be used to one's advantage - not only for those who require
more potassium, but also for people who lack sodium and retain too much potassium.
Sources with the highest potassium / sodium (K/Na) ratio include beans, peas, potatoes, grains, nuts and
fruits - where for instance pistachios contain about 1000x more potassium than sodium, bananas nearly 400x
more potassium than sodium, and potatoes about 80x more potassium than sodium. In contrast, spinach,
celery, or beets contain only about 3x to 7x more potassium than sodium, with the same ratio applying to
whole milk, chicken and lamb, while eggs, beef and fish contain between 6x to 10x more potassium than
sodium. On the other hand, Kelp contains 2.6x more sodium than potassium.
Choosing Potassium Chloride to season one's food instead of Sodium Chloride (common table salt), or
using commercially available 50 / 50 preparations, may also be a better choice if it benefits someone's
particular chemistry.
Problems associated with low potassium levels (hypokalemia) include high blood pressure, congestive heart
The same approach can be used with many one-sided Headaches / Migraines also, where they can be made to shift back and forth between the two sides, using either associated mineral pairs, or specific vitamin
combinations, although double-sided headaches won't respond to this therapy, since there are no means of
shifting the pain to the other side (see also Acu-Cell "Headaches" for details).
Some less common forms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) present with very low zinc and potassium levels, and
although the diagnosis is confirmed through MS-specific symptoms and MRI-verified lesions / demyelination,
symptoms readily improve when normalizing the patient's zinc and potassium status. That same association
to weakened motor nerve activity can also be seen in some children or teens, who tend to do very poorly in
any type of Sports and Gymnastics, and whose athletic performance steadily improves after raising their
previously very low zinc, and very low potassium levels. ¤
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