Potassium deficiency--hypokalemia

Potassium Hydroxide

Potassium is one of the body's most important minerals. It is present in every cell of the human body. In solution--as it is in the body--potassium carries a positive electrical charge and is one of the body's four main electrolytes along with sodium, chloride and bicarbonate. As an electrolyte, potassium plays a crucial role in water balance and the maintenance of blood pressure. Potassium is also important for normal muscle and nerve function as well as conduction of the electrical impulses that control the heart. Potassium deficiency--hypokalemia--can produce an array of symptoms, which vary in severity depending on the degree of deficiency.

Signs of deficiency include: 

Muscle Weakness, Spasms, Cramps and Tetany

In order for muscle cells to contract, a marked difference in intracellular and extracellular potassium concentrations must exist. As potassium levels drop, this concentration difference decreases and the muscles are unable to function normally. This causes generalized fatigue and a variety of muscular symptoms including weakness, spasms, twitching and cramps. In cases of extreme hypokalemia, the muscles can go into a sustained involuntary state of contraction called tetany.

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Paralysis

Extreme hypokalemia can cause the muscles to go completely limp, a condition called flaccid paralysis. Importantly, the muscles involved in breathing can be affected by hypokalemic paralysis. Breathing can be slow and shallow, or may stop completely.

Muscle Stiffness, Aching and Tenderness

Severe potassium deficiency not only impairs the function of muscle cells, it also damages them, causing their contents to leak out--a condition called rhabdomyolysis. Symptoms include profound weakness and muscle stiffness, aching and tenderness.

Abdominal Bloating, Pain and Cramping

The involuntary muscles of the stomach and intestines can also malfunction when the potassium level is too low. Symptoms including abdominal bloating, pain, and cramping may be present. Constipation may also occur. In the extreme, intestinal activity may virtually stop, a condition called paralytic ileus.

Heart Palpitations

The rhythmic, coordinated contractions of the heart are controlled by electrical impulses, which are ferried across the heart muscle by a specialized conduction system. Hypokalemia can disrupt this conduction system, causing heart rhythm abnormalities. The most common symptom is heart palpitations--an awareness of missed beats, extra beats, or a feeling that the heart is pounding too fast or too hard. These rhythm abnormalities can be life- threatening, and cardiac arrest may occur.

Dizziness and Fainting

Potassium deficiency can cause the kidneys to lose their ability to concentrate urine. As a result, excessive amounts of water are lost from the body and the blood pressure drops. This can cause symptoms of dizziness or fainting, especially when getting up to a standing position.

Frequent Urination and Extreme Thirst

As already noted, hypokalemia can cause an excessive loss of water through the kidneys. Frequent urination and extreme thirst are common symptoms when hypokalemia has been present for some time.

Numbness and Tingling

Low potassium causes the nerves to fire abnormally, which may cause numbness, tingling or a burning sensation, especially in the hands and feet.

So the next logical question would be what could cause a deficiency in Potassium? 

Actually there are many causes for this deficiency including illness and poor diet. When the body is unable to absorb potassium or does not receive potassium in foods, the result is a potassium deficiency. Eating Disorders
One cause of a potassium deficiency is eating disorders. The two main eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia. Both cause potassium deficiency to occur in different ways. A deficiency of potassium in the body is caused by anorexia because the body is starved of valuable nutrients, vitamins and minerals including potassium. Without adequate consumption of foods rich in potassium, a deficiency occurs.  Bulimia causes potassium deficiency differently. The excessive vomiting that is associated with bulimia does not allow the body to absorb the potassium the way it should.
Poor Diet
Poor diet can also cause potassium deficiency. Eating foods that are high in sodium can also cause a lack of potassium in the body. . When the body gets too much salt and not enough foods that are high in potassium, a deficiency can occur. Often the way food is cooked can also cause a loss of potassium, usually because the mineral is cooked out of the food either by boiling the food or frying the food.
Illness
Another cause of potassium deficiency is illness. Like excessive vomiting, excessive diarrhea can also cause the inability for the body to absorb potassium.  Hyperthyroidism can also be a cause of potassium deficiency. The thyroid is the main gland for hormone production. When the thyroid produces too much hormone, it causes an imbalance in the minerals found in the body including potassium. Anemia is another cause of potassium deficiency. Crushing's Disease is an illness that causes potassium deficiency as well. Crushing's disease is when there are high levels of cortisol in the blood and it is caused by a non-cancerous tumor in the pituitary gland. With an abnormally high level of cortisol, it causes a drop in the potassium levels in the body.
Medications
Taking different medications can also cause a deficiency of potassium in the body. Medications that are known to cause potassium deficiency to occur include diuretics, different types of cortisone and blood pressure medications. When taking any of these medications alone or combined with other medications, potassium deficiency is known to be a possible side affect. Depending on the type of medication that is being taken the potassium deficiency can be caused by a problem absorbing potassium or an interference with how the potassium works within the body.
There are many causes of potassium deficiency. Some of those causes are eating disorders, poor diet, illness and taking different medications. Just as there are different problems that cause potassium deficiency, there are also treatments for all of the causes. Seeking psychiatric attention for eating disorders, visiting a nutritionist to learn how to improve diet, talking to a health care professional such as a family doctor or specialist about illnesses, and possibly changing medication that cause potassium deficiency are all ways to deal with this problem. In many cases, with medical attention or a change in life style, having a potassium deficiency can be diminished or solved.

So How Do I Get My Potassium Levels Back To Normal ? 

  Of course the fastest way would be to take a Potassium supplement daily. Which in extreme cases of deficiency may be the the best option otherwise. Starting out with a Potassium supplements is great initially as a short term solution but the mid-long term solution should be to incorporate more Potassium into your diet. By eating more of the foods that contain Potassium your body takes only what it needs. So if this article applies to you in any way please look at the list of top 10 foods high on Potassium listed below. The foods listed will assuredly grant you a nice steady flow of Potassium, naturally. 

      Potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. A deficiency in potassium causes fatigue, irritability, and hypertension (increased blood pressure). Unless you are on dialysis, or have a special condition, overdose of potassium from natural sources is nearly impossible; however, it is possible to consume too much potassium via potassium salts which can lead to nausea, vomiting, and even cardiac arrest. Potassium from natural food sources, like the ones listed below, are considered safe and healthy. The current percent daily value for potassium is a whopping 3.5 grams, below is a list of high potassium foods ranked by common serving sizes:

#1: White Beans

Potassium in 100g	1 cup cooked (179g)
561mg (16% DV)	1004mg (29% DV)

Other Beans High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Adzuki (35%), Soy (28%), Lima (28%), Kidney (20%), Great Northern (20%), Pinto (18%) and others at an average of 15% DV per cup cooked.

#2: Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)

Potassium 100g (Raw)	1 Cup (Raw - 30g)	1 Cup (Cooked - 180g)
558mg (16% DV)	167mg (5% DV)	839mg (24% DV)

Other Greens High in Potassium (%DV per cup cooked): Swiss Chard (27% DV), Kale (8% DV), and Collards (6% DV).


#3: Baked Potatoes (With Skin)

Potassium 100g	Average Potato (173g)
535mg (15% DV)	926mg (26% DV)

Warning: Potatoes are high in simple carbohydrates and not recommended for people with diabetes. Sweet potatoes are actually better for regulation blood sugar, an average baked sweet potato with skin (114g) provides 542mg (15% DV) of potassium.

#4: Dried Apricots

Potassium 100g	1/2 cup (65g)
1162mg (33% DV)	755mg (22% DV)

Other Dried Fruits High in Potassium (%DV per 1/2 cup): Peaches (22% DV), Prunes (20% DV), Raisins (18% DV).
Warning: Dried fruits are high in sugar.

#5: Baked Acorn Squash

Potassium 100g	1 cup cubed (205g)
437mg (12% DV)	899mg (26% DV)

Other Squash High in Potassium (%DV per cup baked): Hubbard (21%), Butternut (17% DV), Zucchini (14% DV), Average Winter Squash (10% DV).

#6: Yogurt (Plain, Skim/Non-Fat)

Potassium 100g	1 cup (245g)
255mg (7% DV)	625mg (18% DV)

Other Yogurt High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Whole-Fat (11% DV), Chocolate Yogurt (24% DV).

#7: Fish (Salmon)

Potassium 100g	1 3oz fillet (85g)
628mg (18% DV)	534mg (15% DV)

Other Fish High in Potassium (%DV per 3oz fillet (85g)): Pompano (15% DV), Lingcod (14% DV), Halibut (13% DV), Yellowfin Tuna (13% DV), Anchovies (12% DV), Mackerel (10% DV), Herring (10% DV) and most other fish at an average of 10% DV.

#8: Avocados

Potassium 100g	Average Avocado (201g)	1/2 Cup Pureed (115)
485mg (14% DV)	975mg (28% DV)	558mg (16% DV)

An average avocado provides 322 calories, half a cup purred contains 184 calories.

#9: Mushrooms (White)

Potassium 100g	1 cup sliced (108g)
396mg (11% DV)	428mg (12% DV)

1 cup cooked sliced white mushrooms contain 28 calories.
Other mushrooms high in potassium (%DV per cup sliced): Portabella (9% DV), Brown or Crimini (9% DV), Enoki (7% DV), Shiitake (5% DV), Maitake (4% DV).

#10: Bananas

Potassium 100g	Average Banana(118g)	1 Cup Mashed (225)
358mg (10% DV)	422mg (12% DV)	806mg (23% DV)

An average banana provides 105 calories, 1 cup mashed contains 200 calories.

Melatonin a naturally effective sleep aid

How does it work?

Melatonin’s main job in the body is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness causes the body to produce more melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep. Light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to prepare for being awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of melatonin. It is thought that adding melatonin from supplements might help them sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. Melatonin used as medicine is usually made synthetically in a laboratory. It is most commonly available in pill form, but melatonin is also available in forms that can be placed in the cheek or under the tongue. This allows the melatonin to be absorbed directly into the body.

People use melatonin to adjust the body’s internal clock. It is used for jet lag, for adjusting sleep-wake cycles in people whose daily work schedule changes (shift-work disorder), and for helping blind people establish a day and night cycle.

Melatonin is also used for the inability to fall asleep (insomnia); delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS); insomnia associated with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); insomnia due to certain high blood pressuremedications called beta-blockers; and sleep problems in children with developmental disorders including autism, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation. It is also used as a sleep aid after discontinuing the use of benzodiazepine drugs and to reduce the side effects of stopping smoking.

Some people use melatonin for Alzheimer’s disease, ringing in the ears, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, migraine and other headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bone loss (osteoporosis), a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia (TD), epilepsy, as an anti-aging agent, for menopause, and for birth control.

Other uses include breast cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, head cancer, neck cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Melatonin is also used for some of the side effects of cancer treatment (chemotherapy) including weight loss, nerve pain, weakness, and a lowered number of clot-forming cells (thrombocytopenia).

It is also used to calm people before they are given anesthesia for surgery.

The forms of melatonin that can be absorbed through the cheek or under the tongue are used for insomnia, shift-work disorder, and to calm people before receiving anesthesia for surgery.

Sometimes people apply melatonin to the skin to protect against sunburn.

So run out and get you some as you can see there are many uses for it. The bottom line is it is yet another effective NATURAL cure, No meds.

The Healthy Arizonan

Vitamins are Healthy

    Vitamins help us maintain overall good health. So here's a little nursery rhyme to help us all remember the important qualities of our vitamins: 

Vitamin A keeps the cold germs away
and tend to make meek people nervy, 
Yet B is what you need,
when your going to seed, 
And C is specific in scurvy
Vitamin D makes the bones in your knee
nice and hard for service on Sunday
While makes hens scratch 
and it increases the hatch

and brings in more profits on Monday
Interestingly Vitamin F has never bothered the chef
for this Vitamin has never existed.
G of course outs the fight in the old appetite
and so please eat all the foods that are listed.
So now when you dine remember these lines;
If long on this globe you will tarry.
Just try to be good and pick out more food
from you Orchard, Garden and Diary

B12 deficiency, a little more serious than you may know

     

      What harm can having too little of a vitamin do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B₁₂ in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B₁₂ deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more. 
          The human body needs vitamin B₁₂ to make red blood cells, nerves, DNA, and carry out other functions. The average adult should get 2.4 micrograms a day. Like most vitamins, B₁₂ can’t be made by the body . Instead, it must be gotten from food or supplements.
And therein lies the problem: Some people don’t consume enough vitamin B₁₂ to meet their needs, while others can’t absorb enough, no matter how much they take in. As a result, vitamin B₁₂ deficiency is relatively common, especially among older people. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 3.2% of adults over age 50 have a seriously low B₁₂ level, and up to 20% may have a borderline deficiency.

      The most important  question of course is still yet to asked. Am I at risk? There are many causes for vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. Surprisingly, two of them are practices often undertaken to improve health: a vegetarian diet and weight-loss surgery. Plants don’t make vitamin B₁₂. The only foods that deliver it are meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and other foods from animals. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk for developing a B₁₂ deficiency if they don’t eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin or take a vitamin supplement. People who have stomach stapling or other form of weight-loss surgery are also more likely to be low in vitamin B₁₂ because the operation interferes with the body’s ability to extract vitamin B₁₂ from food. Conditions that interfere with food absorption, such celiac or Crohn’s disease, can cause B₁₂ trouble. So can the use of commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, which reduce acid production in the stomach (acid is needed to absorb vitamin B₁₂). The condition is more likely to occur in older people due to the cutback in stomach acid production that often occurs with aging. So take a good look at your lifestyle as well as eating habits and it should be fairly easy to find out if you have a deficiency or not.