A List of Food
Rich in Potassium

Selecting food rich in potassium to add to your diet is a sensible way to top up your your levels to reach the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), especially when you are prescribed diuretics to lower blood pressure, which not only causes the body to expel fluid but with it that much needed vital mineral.

So which foods are loaded?

My growing list will feature familiar as well as unfamiliar produce, helping you to have a wider variety of foods to choose from, creating a more interesting diet.

The first 4 of our foods very rich in potassium are –

• Dulse – (Seaweed)
• Kelp – (Seaweed)
• Sunflower seeds
• Wheat germ

Dulse, a red seaweed.

1 cup = 550 mg

Another name for dulse is “Sea Parsley” which I thought was interesting as the common garden parsley is also high in potassium.

People in the North of Ireland are partial to it and have sold it in their fish markets for hundreds of years, so we can learn a few tips from them how to prepare it for culinary use.

People are known to eat dulse straight from off the rocks, salt and all. As salt is not a substance you want to increase in your diet, it is wiser to wash or soak and cook it before eating. One way of removing the salt is by using the traditional Western Irish method of soaking it overnight in 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk. This will remove excess salt and sodium, although dulse is relatively low on sodium.

It is used in Japan and around the world in soups, chowders, salads and the Irish like to add it to their bread recipes.

You can buy dulse in tablet form as a supplement if you prefer from a health shop. Look out for the name “Nova Scotia Dulce” which is often used in dietary supplements.

Kelp – Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosis) –(Seaweed)

I particularly note Bladder wrack kelp which is commonly known for it`s thyroid healing properties but ignored as a food rich in potassium.

It is a common food in Japan, and is used as an additive and flavoring in various food products in Europe.

A brown algae known as sea wrack, black tang, kelp-ware, rock weed, bladder focus, sea oak, black tany, cut weed, and rock wrack, and is recognized by the small nitrogen gas filled vesicles which occur in pairs on either side of a central midrib running along the center of the strap-like frond.

In Bartram’s Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine it is said to help high blood pressure, is a good treatment for arteriosclerosis and strengthens blood vessels. In fact it contains so many minerals and vitamins that it is a fantastic tonic for the whole body, so you will benefit overall by using it as a part of your high blood pressure diet.

It has been said that there is no scientific evidence at present that bladder wrack helps treat high blood pressure, but as a food rich in potassium, it can help to maintain your RDA. But be warned, excessive dosage (many times the recommended dosage) may lead to elevated blood pressure.

Bladder wrack is also sold as a kelp supplement in tablet or powder form.

Sunflower seeds – 1 oz = 200 mg

Sunflower seeds were used by native American Indians as a diuretic for several ailments. Today, as food rich in potassium, they are also recommended for high blood pressure or for other cardiovascular problems.

The seeds contain a ratio of a least 325 mg potassium to 1mg of sodium. A very good natural diuretic, and if you take diuretics they will help replace what is lost.

As an extra bonus, sunflower seeds contain phytosterols, polyunsaturated fats, linoleic acid, and vitamin E. All essential nutrients to help fight cholesterol levels.

Sunflower seeds are eaten as a snack, rather than added to recipes. Beware though if you are thinking to munch on them. They are very high in saturated fat so if you are watching your weight, eat sparingly.

Wheat germ – 1 oz. = 269 mg

When you next visit your health store, look for the wheat germ. It serves in a variety of ways as a food rich in potassium.

It`s called wheat germ because the part that germinates the plant is used whereas the rest is discarded. Whole wheat is when the whole grain is used, but it is the “germ” that contains the most nutrients.

It is widely known for it`s health properties because of its rich mineral content.

Why not add it to your cereal in the morning, or in your yogurt?

You can buy it already toasted or ordinary depending on what you want to use it for, for example use it in your cakes and flans to give them a nutty, malty flavor. I have used it myself as a thickener for stews and gravies instead of corn flour.

Whatever dish you create with a little imagination, keep this in mind, sunflower seeds are a versatile and healthy food rich in potassium that will help you maintain your health.