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Profile 1, Trace Elements (Hair) Trace Elements

Potassium

Optimal Result: 2 - 23 Units.

Potassium is a primary intra-cellular element required for fluid balance, nerve activity and muscle activity.

Sources Of Potassium

Seafood - halibut, herring, lingcod, sardines
Meats - goose
Nuts/seeds - pecans, sesame, sunflower, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts, peanuts
Fruits - avocados, dates, figs, prunes, raisins
Vegetables - watercress, garlic, horseradish, lentils, parsley, potatoes, spinach, artichokes, lima beans, beet greens, swiss chard, collards
Grains - buckwheat, rye, wheat bran
Miscellaneous - chocolate, molasses, mushrooms, kelp, yeast, salt substitutes

Roles In The Body

Potassium has many roles, especially intracellular fluid balance, and cell membrane effects such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction, and cell permeability.

Functions Of Potassium

Circulatory - lowers heart rate, dilates arteries, can reduce blood pressure
Excretory - maintains acid-base balance
Digestive - increases digestive tract activity
Endocrine - helps raise aldosterone and other hormones
Metabolic - involved in carbohydrate metabolism

Synergistic Nutrients

magnesium

Antagonistic Nutrients

calcium, processed food diets are low in potassium

Hair Analysis Notes

Potassium is known as the follow-through mineral. Hair must not be washed at the laboratory to obtain accurate potassium readings.

Reasons For Potassium Supplementation

- to lower a high sodium/potassium ratio

- to enhance energy production

WHAT CAN CAUSE A MINERAL IMBALANCE?

There are many factors to take into consideration, such as:

Diet - Improper diet through high intake of refined and processed foods, alcohol and fad diets can all lead to a chemical imbalance. Even the nutrient content of a "healthy" diet can be inadequate, depending upon the soil in which the food was grown or the method in which it was prepared.

Stress - Physical or emotional stress can deplete the body of many nutrients while also reducing the capability to absorb and utilize many nutrients.

Medications - Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can deplete the body stores of nutrient minerals and/or increase the levels of toxic metals. These medications include diuretics, antacids, aspirin and oral contraceptives.

Pollution - From adolescence through adulthood the average person is continually exposed to a variety of toxic metal sources such as cigarette smoke (cadmium), hair dyes (lead), hydrogenated oils (nickel), anti-perspirants (aluminum), dental amalgams (mercury and cadmium), copper and aluminum cookware and lead-based cosmetics. These are just a few of the hundreds of sources which can contribute to nutrient imbalances and adverse metabolic effects.

Nutritional Supplements - Taking incorrect supplements or improper amounts of supplements can produce many vitamin and mineral excesses and/or deficiencies, contributing to an overall biochemical imbalance.

Inherited Patterns - A predisposition toward certain mineral imbalances, deficiencies and excesses can be inherited from parents.

What does it mean if your Potassium result is too high?

High Hair Potassium:

  • indicates high sugar and glucocorticoid levels.
  • very high potassium can be a potassium loss due to excessive breakdown of body cells.

What does it mean if your Potassium result is too low?

Low Hair Potassium:

→ indicates adrenal gland exhaustion.

→ very low potassium is associated with allergies, fatigue, low blood sugar, sweet cravings, and low blood pressure.

A low potassium level on a hair tissue mineral analysis is often associated with excessive excretion of potassium due to stress and adrenal gland weakness. This may contribute to feelings of fatigue and low blood sugar.

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If you have low levels of potassium in a hair analysis, it may indicate potential issues related to adrenal function and/or electrolyte balance, rather than reflecting your nutritional status or dietary intake of potassium. The level of potassium in hair does not directly reflect the potassium functions that take place in cells; instead, it can be influenced by various factors.

Low hair potassium (K) may be associated with conditions like gastrointestinal or renal dysfunction or side effects of certain diuretics. In cases of adrenocortical hyperactivity, blood potassium levels may be depressed, while urinary potassium levels may be increased. Interestingly, low hair potassium levels are commonly found in association with emotional stress and may be concomitant with high levels of calcium and magnesium in hair, which is referred to as the "emotional stress pattern".

Symptoms of true potassium deficiency, known as hypokalemia, may include muscle weakness, fatigue, and tachycardia (rapid heart rate). Severe potassium loss can occur in conditions like diabetic acidosis.

To confirm potassium deficiency, additional tests may be conducted, such as measurements of packed red blood cell potassium, whole blood potassium, the sodium/potassium ratio, and urine potassium, and the sodium/potassium ratio. An electrocardiogram may also be used to assess for abnormalities when potassium levels are low in serum/plasma or whole blood.

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