Health

Most people don’t get enough potassium. Only 3% of Americans hit the Institute of Medicine target of 4.7 grams per day. The symptoms of low potassium can be subtle. It’s difficult, for example, to detect the mild elevation in blood pressure that can result from potassium deficiency. Potassium also supports bone health, energy production, and muscular function. Because of this, chronically inadequate potassium can manifest as brittle bones, fatigue, and muscle cramps. When potassium gets super low, the deficiency shows up in the blood. This state of low serum potassium (called hypokalemia) is serious stuff that often requires medical treatment....

An electrolyte drink is a beverage that contains both fluids and electrolytes. Drinking these beverages replaces what’s lost through sweat, urine, and the business of living. Unfortunately, standard hydration advice still revolves around drinking plain water. You’ve probably heard of the 8x8 rule. This piece of homespun wisdom holds that we should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day to prevent dehydration. The problem is, 8x8 isn’t rooted in science. Rather, the science suggests that drinking plain water is a poor hydration strategy. Why? Because healthy hydration isn’t just about water. It’s also about fluid balance, and electrolytes are...

Most sources agree that eating more potassium may help lower blood pressure. It’s an uncontroversial electrolyte. It’s so uncontroversial that the US government has approved a health claim endorsing potassium-rich foods for reducing blood pressure and stroke risk. The controversy heats up, however, when sodium enters the picture. In the same health claim—the one recommending potassium-rich foods—the government also recommends sodium restriction. Now I’ll be honest. It’s tough to parse the data on sodium, potassium, and blood pressure—especially when much of it is either observational or derived from dietary intervention trials that don’t (and can’t) control for hundreds of confounding...

Are you getting enough potassium? If you are, you’re in the minority. Only 3% of Americans meet the Institute of Medicine’s recommended daily intake of 4.7 grams. If you’re not, keep reading—it’s a relatively easy fix. You’ve probably heard that potassium lowers blood pressure. But did you know this electrolyte also helps with osteoporosis, kidney stones, and blood sugar regulation? Potassium is super important, and I’ll say it again: most people don’t get enough of it. That’s why I wrote this article. I’ll make a case for the benefits of potassium, then I’ll explain how to optimize potassium status through...

When assessing a person’s nutritional status, I look at magnesium in the first thirty seconds. Why? Because deficiencies in this mineral careen into every aspect of human health. Being low in magnesium is linked to muscle cramps, heart problems, brittle bones, inflammation, diabetes, depression, insomnia, and much more. With about 30% of people being magnesium deficient, this is a widespread problem. I’m not saying optimizing magnesium status will solve the world’s health issues. It won’t. It’s just a small piece of the puzzle. But getting enough magnesium through diet and supplements is low-hanging fruit in the quest to extend healthspan....