Potassium and pregnancy, are you getting enough?

Potassium is a very important mineral for both pregnant women and breastfeeding women. Not only does potassium help to maintain your fluid and electrolyte balance but potassium sends important nerve impulses, helps your muscles contract, keeps your blood pressure stable and normal and helps your body to release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Potassium helps reduce swelling too (yes, a way to feel slimmer!) Also, a lack of potassium can cause leg cramps, which are already a problem for many pregnant women. During pregnancy your blood volume expands by up to a whopping 50% which means you’ll need a bit more potassium than usual. The current recommendations for pregnant women is 4,700 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day. If you’re breastfeeding you’ll need 5,100 mg per day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee notes that most Americans are falling short of their potassium needs – of course that’s a problem if you’re preggers and need more potassium. There are potassium supplements, but a well-balanced diet should provide you all the potassium you need and then some. It’s just a matter of making smart diet choices. You can easily add potassium to your diet by eating a good variety of any of the following foods – beans, lentils, peas, milk, yogurt, bananas, tomato sauce, orange juice, broccoli, cooked green soybeans, cantaloupe, potatoes, spinach, watermelon, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, carrot juice, canned clams, prunes, Pacific cod and winter squash.

from: she knows.com

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