Potassium Adequate Intake (AI)
Potassium AI depends on age and sex and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, see US Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. People with kidney disease may be advised to restrict intake to avoid a high blood potassium level (hyperkalemia), which can have serious adverse effects on heart rhythm and function.
Use our
free Key Nutrients RDA Calculator app
to calculate your AI and use our Potassium Counter & Tracker
to count & track potassium intake.
Healthy potassium levels are critical for body function
- An increased intake of potassium can lower blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and some medications reduce potassium excretion and can lead to high levels of potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia) with adverse, potentially life-threatening, effects on the heart. In these situations, healthcare providers may advise patients to restrict their potassium intake
- Some medications (eg, thiazide diuretics) and medical conditions (eg, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) increase potassium excretion, resulting in a low level of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia). Healthcare providers may then advise an increased potassium intake to protect from symptoms due to hypokalemia such as:
- tingling, numbness
- muscle weakness, cramps, spasms
- brain fog, irritability
Infographic: Potassium has important roles throughout the body
Lowering high blood pressure
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a high-potassium diet due to its high content of vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy & oily fish
Muscle (including heart) contraction
Low blood potassium causes muscle weakness when mild, but more disabling life-threatening effects on muscle & heart if severe
Transmission of nerve impulses
Intact nerve conduction is vital for muscle and heart function, which are adversely affected by both hypokaemia and hyperkalemia. This can be life-threatening
