Hi all, i just saw a facebook message from my dear friend Paula, and she was a little disgusted at a America Kidney Fund post just recently, about bananas (which is a high potassium fruit). Of course, when i first was diagnosed with ESRD in 1990, and then a couple of months later started my initial hemodialysis treatment, i was immediately told by the unit dietitian, about potassium, and how high potassium levels in the body can be potentially harmful for a dialysis pts. and yes, i soon discovered that the potassium needed to be monitored and well controlled, because of the potential danger to the heart. Here is a little literature on potassium - Potassium is normally a heart healthy nutrient, when the kidneys are working at normal capacity, but when you become a dialysis pt., you could either experience issues with low potassium, as well as high potassium levels in the body from time to time. Potassium is a mineral and is needed to keep your nerves and muscles working properly. Too much potassium or too little potassium can cause your muscles not to work normally. Of course, your heart is a muscle, and it is the biggest muscle in your body. Low or high potassium levels can cause irregular heartbeats and even can cause your heart to stop beating. Too much potassium in the body can cause you to have a heart attack. Hemodialysis treatments does not filter excess potassium as well as a person with normal kidney function, however, peritoneal dialysis treatment removes potassium so much more easily, so it is not usually difficult to control, so every once in awhile, the labs will show that the potassium levels are below normal range, and needs to be addressed, first, it is advisable to try eating more high potassium foods, and of course, with me, and other PD patients, that is easier said than done, i tend to run on the low end of norm with my potassium levels, so i am then prescribed a potassium supplement to take from time to time. Orange juice and bananas are a great source of potassium, i do drink a glass of OJ in the mornings, but i don't particularly like bananas, that is because of the texture (something that i have had a pet peeve for as long as i can remember, (lol) This is a trip, "during my ten year run on hemo, i had the most difficult task of watching my potassium intake, (like a hawk), because just about everything that you consume in your diet, has some potassium in its intake, so monitoring my potassium wasn't a piece of cake for me, but like i said, the twisted thing about all this, is for ten years i had high potassium issues, but since my ten year run on peritoneal dialysis, i have had major issues with low potassium in my diet. I tried truly hard to eat enough potassium rich foods, but for some reason, the more potassium i ate, the more is drained out during each PD exchange, so yes, i have to take a potassium supplement from time to time, my potassium levels are always in question, having to have my blood drawn for potassium testing on the regular, when if my potassium levels would stay in the norm, i wouldn't have to have blood drawn so often, whereas my k+ would be normally drawn during my scheduled monthly lab draw, yes, so much drama right! Well, anyway i have tried a few of the tips given to me early on by my dietitian about eating high potassium fruits and vegetables, such as extra avacadoes in my salad - avacadoes have about 487 mg of potassium, and also use avacadoes and make a homemade pesto, that i can spread on my sandwich bread, instead of mayonnaise or salad spread, that taste better and will give me more potassium that way. Also tomatoes are another fruit, that i try to put more in my salads, or on my sandwich as a garnish - tomatoes have about 353 mg of k+ in a medium size fruit. I also make a artichoke dip, as well as i use artichoke hearts chopped in a viniagrette pasta salad (orzo, to be exact) artichoke has about 424 mg of k+ for a medium size one. I also discovered that nectars are a great source of potassium (but beware of the fluid intake, dialysis pts.). And of course, there are cases, where the potassium levels needs to be well controlled in the body, and by the potassium being soluble based, say for example - if you cook carrots (like boil them in a pot of water--some of the potassium will be removed form the vegetable and will deposit in the boiling water, this would be very beneficial to a dialysis patient that has issues with high levels of potassium, but in any case where a dialysis pt. may need more potassium in their body, is is advisable for them to steam their vegetables to retain more potassium to help in meeting their potassium intake needs. I adore mashed potatoes, and of course, mashed potatoes are lower in potassium than a baked potatoe and remember as a rule of thumb frozen and canned vegetables are lower in potassium than fresh vegetables and the same goes for canned fruits as well. (i share all this in my first book - My Renal Life (i know it, i live it) and it does bare repeating, that i also decided to share it in my second book - (My Twenty Year Journey with PKD in the Dialysis World), as well.
The normal range for potassium for a dialysis pts. is 3.5 - 5.5 mg - which will help you to say heart healthy. So, dialysis pts. lets keep the heart smiling and pretty. So, you see dialysis pts. potassium is very serious in the body. I am not quite sure how that works with CKD patients, but just be wise to your particular potassium levels. Remember Knowledge is Key, and knowing how the minerals work in the body, and how important they are in keeping them in normal range as best as you can, will keep the heart happy. Staying Compliant is key, and yes, that is easier said than done, (potassium), just one of the important minerals in your body, like some other minerals are as well, just way too much to go into on this blog at this time, but maybe in another blog as we continue to blog. That is why i call this renal diet a very complex diet to attempt to stay compliant with. To my bloggers, if you have an issue with any minerals, that you need to better understand, just hit me up, anytime, as i have been following this diet for well over two decades, i share my plight with varies minerals, throughout my 20 yr. journey so far. Until next blog, take care and all the best to my bloggers. Glo
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