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- Ausman, Lynne M.
- Bermudez, Odilia I.
- Block, Steven A.
- Blumberg, Jeffrey B.
- Booth, Sarah L.
- Cappellano, Kathleen L.
- Carlson, Khristopher
- Castaneda Sceppa, Carmen
- Catley, Andy
- Choi, Sang Woon
- Chomitz, Virginia
- Coates, Jennifer
- Cochary, Elizabeth
- Crivello, Natalia A.
- Dallal, Gerard E.
- Das, Sai Krupa
- Dolnikowski, Gregory G.
- Doyle, Marcia S.
- Dunn, Julie E.
- Dwyer, Johanna T.
- Economos, Christina D.
- Fielding, Roger A.
- Forrester, Jane
- Frongillo, Edward
- Gagnon, David
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- Must, Aviva
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- Rosenberg, Irwin H.
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- Saltzman, Ed
- Schaefer, Ernst J.
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- Smith, Donald E.H.
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- Sternin, Monique
- Stites, Elizabeth
- Tang, Guangwen
- Taylor, Allen
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- Tucker, Katherine L.
- Walker, Peter
- Wang, Xiang-Dong
- Wanke, Christine
- Webb, Patrick
- Wilde, Parke E.
- Wilder, Andrew
- Wood, Richard J.
- Woodin, Mark A.
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- Wu, Dayong
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- Young, Helen
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Ask Tufts Experts
I have a tendency toward high potassium. Can you recommend foods to avoid?
Most Americans have the opposite problem—they don't get enough potassium. Potassium levels in the body are mostly controlled by the steroid hormone aldosterone, secreted by the adrenal gland, which causes the body to rid itself of excess potassium through the kidneys. So most people never have to worry about getting too much potassium. Insufficient kidney function or lack of aldosterone can lead to abnormally high potassium levels in the bloodstream, a serious health condition called hyperkalemia, for which a physician should be consulted.
Fruits and vegetables are the primary source of potassium in our diets. Foods highest in potassium include spinach, cantaloupes, almonds, bananas, oranges and mushrooms. Milk can also be a good source of potassium since it balances its naturally occurring sodium content. Other sources of potassium include beans, peanut butter and even coffee.
In the January 2005 article "Remember to Drink Your Tea," it was not mentioned if research was on regular or decaffeinated tea. I'm interested, as we drink decaf.
Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory in the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, says that the decaffeination process results in a 10-15 percent loss in tea polyphenols (antioxidants). But he adds, "I do not feel this loss translates to a clinical significance for regular tea drinkers." So go ahead and keep drinking decaf.
Send your questions for possible publication to:
Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter200 Boston Ave.
Suite 3500
Medford, MA 02155
Sorry, because of the volume of questions, we cannot respond to each inquiry individually.
Related Links
- Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter: April 2005: I have a tendency toward high potassium. Can you recommend foods to avoid?
- Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter: April 2005: In the January 2005 article "Remember to Drink Your Tea," it was not mentioned if research was on regular or decaffeinated tea. I'm interested, as we drink decaf.
- Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter: February 2006: Potent Potassium
- Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter: February 2006: Unpuzzling Potassium,
