Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Muscle Spasms are Symptoms of Low Potassium in Women

This article will cover potassium and how it affects sleep, good sources of potassium in foods, potassium deficiency symptoms, potassium supplements and potassium supplements side effects, including overdose. Potassium symbol K for the Neo-Latin term kalium is a vital and necessary mineral for the proper function of organs, fluids and muscles. Because it contributes to muscle function restless leg syndrome (RLS) and muscle spasms are symptoms of low potassium in women. Do you ever wake up during the middle of the night grabbing your calf from a painful charley horse? Do you find it hard to fall to sleep easy at night because of restless leg syndrome (RLS)? Do you have muscle spasms in your legs or arms that disrupt your sleep? An article written by the New England Journal of Medicine in 1998 illustrated how low levels of potassium has various effects on the central nervous system causing conditions like tinnitus, memory loss, anxiety, sleep problems from muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, afternoon sleepiness and confusion.

[caption id="attachment_1514" align="alignright" width="400" caption="Foods Rich in Potassium for RLS and muscle spasms aid sleep"][/caption]

Hypokalemia or a potassium deficiency can be caused by either the lack of potassium intake or losing too much in your urine or intestines. Some doctors recommend a potassium supplement to prevent RLS, but a diet rich in potassium can keep this mineral at healthy levels. Low potassium levels are often caused by a magnesium deficiency. See more information about magnesium and how it can help you sleep better. Potassium is abundant in fruits and vegetables, proteins and dairy.

Potassium Fruit: We’ve all heard that eating a banana is a good source of potassium for muscle cramps, but did you know that one of the richest sources of potassium is papaya, which contains about 781 mg of potassium per fruit? A cup of prune juice provides 781 mg of potassium per serving. Other good fruit sources include cherries, cantaloupe, bananas, raisins, mangos and kiwi fruit.

Apples are a good source of vitamin C and can supply you with vitamin B6 and potassium, both of which may promote a good night’s sleep. Vitamin C can help decrease blood pressure, improve your breathing and lower your blood sugar, helping you to relax and breathe properly as you sleep. Potassium helps to maintain a regular heart beat and achieves proper nerve transmissions that induce relaxation and sleep. Vitamin B6 can reduce stress and help you sleep by promoting the release of the mood-elevating neurotransmitter serotonin. See more information on serotonin foods. In addition, it is essential to breaking down fats and using energy, potentially helping you to burn fat as you sleep.

A medium-sized apple also contains approximately 15 percent of your daily fiber, providing necessary bulk to keep you full as you sleep. The insoluble fiber in an apple also helps to retain its water in your intestines. This prevents bathroom breaks through the night, aids digestion and helps to cleanse your colon as you sleep. The soluble fiber in apples, on the other hand, is broken down by your body and can help to lower blood cholesterol levels, making for better circulation and sleep over time.

Calories, Carbs and Sugar Apples vs Banana and Other Fruit

[caption id="attachment_1515" align="alignright" width="186" caption="I have more potassium than an apple!"][/caption]

Apples contain almost no fat and they are low in calories, with a medium-sized apple adding only 72 calories to your daily intake and only 2 fat calories. Apples contain 3.3g fiber, 14.34g of sugar and 19.06g of carbs, (carbohydrate content arises mainly from simple sugars and fiber). The blood sugar-regulating properties of apples draw out the breakdown of these simple sugars, helping you to avoid energy surges as you sleep. Coupled with their high fiber content, this slow breakdown of simple sugars makes apples a fine snack for filling yourself up before sleeping and remaining full throughout the night. If you are watching your carbohydrates and sugar intake an apple is the better choice even though a banana has twice the amount potassium.  A medium size banana (7” – 8” long) has 105 calories, calories from fat 4 with 26.95g of carbs, 3.1g fiber and 14.43g of sugar which makes it one of the higher carb fruits along with pineapples. The South Beach Diet lists apples and cantaloupe in their low to medium sugar content group, while pineapples and kiwi are considered medium to high and bananas along with mangos, prunes, raisins and cherries are listed very high in sugar. Bananas are not allowed in their Phase 2 program. South Beach Diet dictates you shall have no bananas today.

Potassium Vegetables: Tomatoes are a good source of potassium, according to Drugs.com. One cup of tomato juice contains 535 mg of potassium, while a fresh tomato contains about 400 mg. A single sweet potato, eaten with the skin on, contains about 508 mg of potassium. Other vegetables with high potassium levels are avocado, asparagus, pumpkin, romaine lettuce, raw celery, raw carrots, raw cauliflower, raw broccoli, raw cabbage, cooked turnip greens, boiled chard, boiled collard greens, eggplant, boiled beets, boiled mustard greens, snap and string green beans and mushrooms.

Potassium Protein: A half-cup of cooked pinto beans contains 400 mg of potassium, according to Drugs.com. A cup of soymilk provides 345 mg. Other rich sources of potassium among protein foods include lentils, dried peas, salmon, turkey, beef, sunflower seeds and peanut butter.

Potassium Dairy: A 6-oz. serving of yogurt contains 398 mg of potassium, according to Drugs.com. A cup of 2 percent milk contains 377 mg, while a cup of low-fat cottage cheese provides 217 mg of potassium.

How much potassium do we need? Both men and women, to maintain maximum health, should be getting at least 2,000 to 4000 mg, or at least 4.7 grams, of potassium each day. It’s been shown that U.S. and U.K. women between the ages of 31 and 50 are likely to be getting less than 50 percent of the amount of potassium needed.

Getting insufficient potassium can result in a wide range of symptoms; fatigue, blood pressure problems, racing or irregular heartbeat, musculoskeletal pain or weakness,, fluid retention, constipation, increased cholesterol, mental difficulties like depression, confusion, anxiety, and insomnia, thirstiness, headaches, slowed reflexes, stunted growth, and too much protein in the urine.

If you think you are one of the millions of people who are not getting enough potassium from their diets, you may feel you need to start taking one of the available potassium citrate supplements. like Twinlab Potassium Capsules, 180 Count (Pack of 3) that are on the market today.  The University of Maryland Medical Center recommended the potassium citrate dosage for adults is 2,000 mg each day. Do you exercise excessively? If so, you may be losing excessive bodily fluid, and potassium, through perspiration. Women concerned about developing osteoporosis should know that calcium loss can accompany potassium deficiency. People with irritable bowel syndrome, or frequent diarrhea, can be suffering excessive fluid, and potassium loss. The highly processed foods and some prescription medications can increase the likelihood of potassium deficiency.

Can I take too much Potassium Citrate? If you suffer from either kidney disease or kidney failure, avoid potassium citrate supplements; their negative consequences could far outweigh their benefits. If you’re on a medication with listed potassium restrictions, don’t take a supplement without first notifying your doctor. In fact, you should contact your doctor before taking any supplement. Avoid other salt products, which may also contain potassium, consuming them could lead to an accidental excess of potassium, with its accompanying side effects. If you do accidentally ingest enough potassium to create an overdose, contact your doctor and follow his instructions to the letter.

Potassium overdose side effects are an altered heart rate, a change in blood pressure, and stomach discomfort. Proven Potassium citrate side effects can include stomach discomfort with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; contact your physician if you experience any of these to a severe extent. If you experience black, tarry stools or an unpleasant taste in your mouth and can’t reach your doctor, go to the nearest emergency room. You might also suffer side effects like numbness or tingling of the hands and feet, irregular or rapid heartbeat, muscle weakness, and mental confusion. Should you accidentally overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency room and follow their instructions. Symptoms of an overdose, which can include confusion, irregular heartbeat, and weakness are similar to the symptoms of side effects, seek attention immediately.

The content provided in Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Muscle Spasms are Symptoms of Low Potassium in Women is for information purposes only, intended to raise the awareness of different solutions for you or your families sleep problems and should not be considered medical advice. For medical diagnosis and treatment, please see your qualified health-care professional.

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1 comment:

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