Requirements of potassium in human body

Potassium is the major intracellular solute and is critical for many physiological functions. The concentration of potassium in the body is 2 g/kg. At a concentration of 140 mmol/L, it is the most common cation in the intracellular fluid.

Potassium is localized mostly within the cells. It regulates the osmotic pressure within the cells, is involved in cell membrane transport and also in the activation of a number of glycolytic and respiratory enzymes.

Dried apricots

Humans require an average daily intake of 2700 to 3500 mg potassium to maintain adequate total body potassium balance (National Research Council, 1989).

The Canadian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for potassium is 70 mg per day per kilogram of body weight; the US Committee on RDA has set minimum potassium requirements at 2000 mg per day, with levels between 1875 and 5625 mg considered ‘safe and adequate daily intake’. Intake is high in fruits, vegetables and grain and conversely, high-fat diets contain small of potassium.

Potassium deficiency is associated with a number of symptoms and may be a result of undernourishment or predominant consumption of potassium-deficient foods, e.g., white bread, fat or oil.
Requirements of potassium in human body

Salt in human diet

The introduction of salt in significant quantities to the human diet is probably linked to two of its properties:
*Its ability to remove moisture from foods, thus increase their osmotic pressure and making them less likely to spoil,

*Its ability to increase the palatability of savory foods.

The substance we call salt is the chemical compound sodium chloride. Salt also contains small amounts of other trace elements including calcium, magnesium and iodine.

Human evolved in a low sat diet of no more than 20 to 40 mmol sodium per day, and became adapted to the physiologic conservation of the limited salt naturally present in foods and not for excretion of a sodium load some 10 to 20 higher than the physiologic need.

Adults usually consume about 10g of salt a day, but there are enormous variations. A high intake of salt may contribute to the development of hypertension or high blood pressure in some individuals.

Salt in the diet comes mainly from processed foods such as crisps, nuts, cheese, pickled vegetables, sauces and smoked foods.

It is also added to food during preparation, cooking and at the table. Small quantity occurs naturally in some foods. Nobody is quite sure exactly how much salt we need to eat, but it is relatively small amount.

Most of the salt in the diet of contemporary industrialized populations is found in processed foods, added by manufacturers during production for a range of reasons, including taste enhancement, texture and preservation.
Salt in human diet