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• Why you should eat more of it in soups, porridge • How potassium helps your heart
By Enyeribe Ejiogu
The heart is the engine room of a human being. It is a powerful, muscular pumping machine (just like the Sumo in residential boreholes), which sends blood on roundtrip journeys to all the organs, tissues and cells of the body. It begins to beat while the foetus is still growing in the womb of the mother, and continues to beat all through life, except in particular medical conditions that lead to cardiac emergencies (a story for another day).
It has four chambers (right and ventricles, right and left auricles). The ventricles and auricles are connected by one-way valves that allow blood to flow in only one direction, either going out to the organs, tissues and cells or coming back to the heart.
The left ventricle is the chamber of the heart that pumps oxygenated blood through the aorta (the largest vessel) to the whole body. For this reason, the muscle of the left ventricle is thicker and more powerful than the muscle of the right ventricle. Visualise the muscle of the left ventricle like the biceps of these men that spend hours and hours in the gym, building six packs (to impress ladies?). The oxygenated blood comes from the lungs through the left auricle. On the return journey from organs, tissues and cells of the body, blood which has delivered its oxygen load like DHL becomes deoxygenated and laden with carbon dioxide. The heads back to the heart through the right auricle, flows into the right ventricle, which contracts and sends it out to the lungs, like a submarine firing a torpedo. In the lungs, the deoxygenated blood gives up carbon dioxide and picks up fresh oxygen and then continues its journey to the left auricle, into the ventricle, from where it is sent out again. This is the minute by minute lifetime routine of the heart.
For the heart to effectively do this vital job assigned to it by Nature, it desperately needs potassium, which is a mineral that helps the nerves and muscles work. A recent study found that increased potassium may help prevent hardening of the arteries, which contributes to serious heart-related conditions. Hardening of the arteries causes plaques of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances that reduce blood flow. This leads to serious conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. The new research provides a deeper understanding of how dietary potassium prevents hardening of the arteries. Beans, spinach, bananas, yoghurt, and potatoes are good sources of potassium.
In a recent video shared online on his social media handles, popular, health-related content creator, Aproko Doctor, whose real name is Dr Chinonso Egesimba, talked about iru, a natural spice eaten mainly by people of Southwest Nigeria.
Though he acknowledged that iru has “body odour” Aproko Doctor urged Nigerians not to be dissuaded by the smelly nature of iru, stressing that the health benefits of the soup condiment far outweigh the short-lived bad smell of iru. His primary reason is that iru is rich in potassium. For most people, natural foods rich in potassium are safe and part of a healthy diet.
However, extra potassium may not be right for everyone. Certain people need to watch their potassium intake, such as those with kidney issues or taking certain medicines.
One way a person can fall into the trap of consuming too much potassium is through over-the-counter supplements. That is why a person should carefully read the label on supplements to know the combination of minerals and vitamins. Higher intake of potassium can lead to hyperkalemia, a medical condition in which there is too much potassium in the person’s blood. Mild cases are usually easy to treat. Severe cases can cause abnormal heart rhythms and need emergency treatment.
A person with hyperkalemia may not feel symptoms if it’s a mild case. It may also be easy to treat. If it gets worse and isn’t treated, it can lead to fatal heart arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
Having hyperkalemia can be a risk factor for chronic kidney disease, diabetes and heart failure. Some medications, such as drugs for blood pressure change potassium levels.
Potassium is important for normal cell function, including heart muscle cells. You get potassium from the foods you eat.
The right level of potassium is key. The kidneys help keep the potassium in the body at the optimum level. Hyperkalemia can happen if a person takes in more potassium than your kidneys can remove or the kidneys are not working well.
Potassium and sodium are important for the heart’s electrical signals. Too much potassium can affect these signals and cause heart rhythm problems.
Diagnosing hyperkalemia
It can be hard to diagnose hyperkalemia. It often has no symptoms. When there are symptoms, they might include muscle weakness or even muscle paralysis. A severe case can cause abnormal heart rhythms and can cause your heart to stop.
A health care professional may diagnose hyperkalemia based on:
•A history of kidney failure
•Use of certain medications that cause high potassium
•Lab tests to check potassium levels
•A heart test called an EKG (electrocardiogram)
A normal potassium level is between 3.5 and 5.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Hyperkalemia is when your level is above 5.5. Patients with hyperkalemia might have a normal EKG or an EKG with slight changes.
Prevention of hyperkalemia
Changes in eating patterns can help prevent and treat high potassium. Please see your doctor to discuss about food to limit or avoid, including:
asparagus, avocados, potatoes
tomatoes or tomato sauce
pumpkin, cooked spinach, oranges and orange juice, kiwifruit
bananas, prunes and raisins and other dried fruits. On the other hand, the foods enumerated are good sources of potassium and healthy for consumption by people who do not have adequate levels of potassium in their blood.
Treating hyperkalemia
A person with very high potassium level will need emergency treatment, especially if the heart shows signs of trouble on an EKG. Treatment might include getting calcium through an IV to help your muscles and heart; getting glucose and insulin through an IV to lower your potassium levels.
Emergency treatment might also include: kidney dialysis if the individual’s kidneys aren’t working well; medication to stop potassium from being absorbed; sodium bicarbonate if your body is too acidic; water pills (diuretics)
If your doctor deems it okay, he or she could also suggest that you stop or reduce potassium supplements. The doctor could also stop or change the doses of some medications for heart disease and high blood pressure.
Some heart failure medications are associated with high potassium, such as: angiotensin receptor blockers); angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors)
For heart failure patients with recurrent hyperkalemia, potassium binders may be given to help lower potassium levels.
