Are you getting enough heart-healthy nutrients in your diet? Potassium is a super way to help keep your heart pumping and your body moving. Learn more about Potassium and the heart here.
Potassium and the Heart
Keeping our hearts healthy is one of the most important things that we can do for our well being. Heart disease, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases are on the rise. In today’s world heart health is related to brain health, and this is especially important with stroke being the number 4 killer in the United States.
One of the best things that you can do to keep your heart healthy is to ensure that you are getting the proper amount of potassium in your diet. (But you know this already since you’re enjoying your That’s It. Apple + Banana Fruit Bar, right?) Potassium is a mineral that is found in many different vegetables, fruits and some meat in addition to vitamin supplements.
Potassium is the main mineral in charge of muscle contraction, including your heartbeat, in the human body. The body’s ability to conduct electrical impulses along the nerve lines is possible because of potassium. When someone suffers from a deficiency of the mineral it can start to cause problems with the heart.
This essential mineral is not stored in the body and can be easily flushed out through the kidneys into the urine. People that suffer from heart failure that is caused by fluid retention are sometimes given a diuretic to decrease the amount of fluid in the body. As a result, potassium loss can happen and the mineral will need to be replaced to ensure heart health.
People that suffer from high blood pressure can benefit from getting adequate potassium in their diet, as well. Potassium helps stop the harmful effects of sodium that can raise blood pressure. Lowering the pressure in the blood by minimizing the effects of salt can help keep the heart healthier and pumping at a normal pace.
Not only does potassium reduce your risk of heart disease, it also lowers your cancer risk and your risk for being obese. So grab a That’s It. Fruit bar, eat up and know that you are doing something the benefits your health!
