Potassium is a mineral that plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and wellness, especially for muscle and nerve function.
Due to potassium’s involvement in various body systems, it’s necessary to consume sufficient amounts of potassium for the body to function optimally.
You can ensure your body receives the proper potassium levels by including foods or herbs high in potassium into your daily regimen.
But what herbs are high in potassium, and what’s the best way to receive their mineral support? In this article, we’ll go over a list of potassium herbs as well as the health benefits of potassium.
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Potassium Overview:
Potassium is a natural mineral that’s found in the soil. Plants use potassium to help with nutrient absorption, metabolism, and growth.
Humans need large amounts of potassium to carry out and maintain crucial processes involved with muscle function, fluid levels, nerve activation, and carbohydrate metabolism. Along with these critical functions, potassium also helps with blood pressure regulation, which is necessary for a healthy heart.
The small intestines absorb potassium and deposit it into the bloodstream, where it’s primarily used by cells to maintain fluid homeostasis. Since the body absorbs around 90% of ingested potassium, it is either used immediately or kept in muscle and bone cells for later use.
Potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) can cause numerous detrimental health issues, including muscle paralysis, abnormal heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and decreased brain functioning.
Although potassium can be found in various natural foods and plants, due to our highly processed Western Diet, approximately 12% of the US population is dangerously potassium deficient, and 98% of the population isn’t getting adequate potassium amounts.
Types of potassium found in food, water, and plants include potassium citrate, potassium phosphate, potassium aspartate, potassium carbonate, and potassium gluconate.
Although the body absorbs almost all potassium consumed, it’s important to ingest whole foods or herbs high in potassium to receive its health benefits.
Herbs High in Potassium:
Below is a list of the best herbs for increasing potassium.
1. Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Nettle, more commonly referred to as “stinging nettle,” is an herb popular for its high nutritional content. Apart from its impressive potassium levels, nettles also include B vitamins, iron, magnesium, calcium, and more.
The leaves are one of the best sources of potassium found in nature. While harvesting nettle can be uncomfortable for the skin, nettle is often gathered with gloves and used in soups, pesto, and other culinary dishes. Nettles can also be consumed in capsule or tea form.
The best way to receive adequate nettle intake is to blanch them before including them in any dish. This removes the “sting” and helps to clean them.
Due to nettle’s high nutrient levels, it can be used for joint and muscle pain, skin issues (like eczema), anemia, and blood conditions. When cooked or consumed as a tea, nettles taste nourishing and fresh.
1 cup of cooked nettle is estimated to contain 297mg of potassium. Since you would need to ingest 9+ cups of nettle to receive your recommended daily intake, it’s best to consume various potassium-rich herbs and foods to get sufficient levels from a well-rounded diet.
Summary:
Stinging nettle leaves are one of the best ways to naturally increase your potassium intake.
2. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Dandelion is abundantly found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in fields, roadsides, and yards. The entire plant contains health benefits; however, the bitter leaves have high levels of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D, iron, and zinc.
Dandelion leaves can be consumed fresh in various dishes, like salads and sandwiches, or cooked with garlic. The flavor is bitter; however, cooking them in oil or butter helps to minimize the intense taste.
Research shows that dandelion has immune-boosting, antioxidant, digestive, and heart-supporting properties.
It’s estimated that 1 cup of fresh, chopped dandelion leaves contains 218mg of potassium, according to the FDA.
Dandelion leaves are commonly used in cuisine but can be taken as tea or tincture.
Summary:
Dandelion has many health benefits, but this herb’s leaves contain high levels of nutrients, making it a good source of potassium.
3. Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Sage, also called “common sage” or “ground sage,” is on the list of herbs high in potassium.
Sage is an evergreen, perenn