The 7 foods richest in potassium

Health is a matter of balance and in that balance there are key elements. One of them is potassium, a mineral that should not be missing from the diet. Among its many functions, essential for the body, are helping us eliminate fluids, control hypertension and adequately contract muscles, including the heart.

One of the most common problems that unbalance our diet is excessive intake of sodium versus potassium. Good cardiovascular and general health requires that we not only reduce sodium intake but also increase potassium.

In fact, according to various randomized control and epidemiological studies, people who consume more sodium and less potassium not only have a higher risk of suffering hypertension, but also risk of dying from heart attack or other causes.

This is according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicinewhich also points out that, beyond the absolute amounts of potassium or sodium that we consume, what influences the most is the ratio between these two minerals in our diet: People who consume the highest sodium to potassium ratio have twice the risk of dying of heart attack than people who consume the lowest.

Changes in diet can be key when it comes to reducing risk, say the same researchers. The secret: increase the consumption of foods rich in potassium and low in sodium, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and reduce the consumption of foods that provide a lot of sodium and little potassiumsuch as bread, processed products or cheese.

There is no doubt, then, that the best sources of potassium are fruits, vegetables and other plant foods, since they are not only foods rich in potassium but also provide little sodium.

here you have one selection of the most outstanding potassium sources that you can include in your diet to improve the balance between sodium and potassium: