Entering ChinaPeople who often suffer from insomnia may try various methods to get a good night’s sleep, such as exercising during the day and listening to white noise before bed……
In fact, many people ignore the impact of diet on sleep: potassium is an essential nutrient for the human body, and insufficient intake can lead to problems such as difficulty falling asleep. A recent study showed that a high-potassium dinner can help improve sleep.
A high-potassium dinner can help improve sleepA new study published in the Swiss academic journal Nutrients highlights that high potassium intake, especially high potassium dinners, can help reduce sleep disturbances and improve sleep quality.
Researchers from Hiroshima University and Waseda University in Japan conducted an in-depth analysis of the diet of 4,568 Japanese users who used food log mini programs, including both three meals a day and snack intake. The participants were 20~64 years old, and all of them filled out a questionnaire about their sleep status.
The results showed that the total potassium intake per day was negatively correlated with the insomnia scale assessment score. Participants with higher scores on the Insomnia Scale had lower daily potassium intake. When dinner potassium intake was high, participants were less likely to have sleep disturbances. According to the researchers’ analysis, adequate potassium supplementation can help relieve muscle tension, regulate blood pressure, and enhance neurotransmitter function, which in turn can help you fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
Researchers believe that people looking forward to better sleep can try increasing their potassium intake, especially at dinner.
What is it like for people who are deficient in potassiumPotassium is not only involved in the metabolism of sugars and proteins, but also helps maintain normal muscle and heart function. Gao Mingsong, chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology of Wuhan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, said that physiological functions such as heart beating, neuro-muscular activity, and respiration all require normal concentrations of potassium ions to maintain.
The normal serum potassium concentration is 3.5~5.5 mmol/L. Once it is less than 3.5 mmol/L, hypokalemia can be diagnosed, and people will have symptoms such as muscle weakness, relaxation, paralysis, and even respiratory muscle paralysis, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.
What does a person with a potassium deficiency look like?
- Fatigue and weakness, decreased energy and physical strength.
- Heart palpitations, arrhythmias, and even dizziness occur.
- Digestive disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, loss of appetite, nausea, anorexia, etc.
- Muscle cramps or cramps, of which muscle weakness is the earliest symptom.
- Restlessness, confusion, confusion.
Fan Zhihong, a professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, said that the main reason for potassium deficiency in the human body is excessive potassium excretion or loss, and patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, osteoporosis, people who need to lose weight, people with poor digestion or frequent diarrhea, and people who sweat too much should pay special attention to potassium supplementation.
How to get potassium from foodAccording to the Dietary Nutrient Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents (2023), the appropriate intake of potassium for healthy people is 2000 mg/day, and if you want to prevent chronic diseases, it is recommended to consume 3600 mg/day.
Zhang Qian, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that it can be supplemented according to the following “pyramid” of dietary potassium.
Fresh fruits and vegetablesThe potassium content of vegetables and fruits is usually 100~400 mg/100 grams, coupled with a large daily intake, it is the most important food source of potassium.
If you want to get enough potassium, you can eat more of these vegetables:
Baby beans: Edamame potassium content 478mg/100g, baby fava beans 391mg/100g, baby peas 332mg/100g.Dark green leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, kale, amaranth, water spinach, lettuce leaves, etc., with a potassium content of about 300 mg/100 g.Light-colored vegetables: bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, lotus roots, etc., potassium content up to 300 mg/100 g.Be sure to use less salt when cooking, otherwise it will cause the effect of potassium supplementation to be greatly reduced.
On February 12, in the greenhouse of Xinglongchuan Village, Xiyang Town, Yongji County, Jilin City, villagers checked the growth of crops. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang NanFruits are based on the “potassium nutrient density”, which is divided by the potassium content by the caloric value, and the higher the value, the more potassium is provided at the same caloric level.
For example, 100g of bananas contain 256mg of potassium and 93 kcal, so the potassium nutrient density is 2.75. In this way, the potassium nutrient density of oranges is 3.31, cantaloupe is 5.59, and papaya is 6.06. In addition, fresh fruits have a higher potassium content than canned and boiled fruits.
Milk100 ml of milk contains 180 mg of potassium, and half a catty of milk can provide 450 mg of potassium, which is equivalent to 22.5% of the daily reference value for adults. The potassium content of yogurt is 150 mg/100 g.
Legumes and whole grainsIn absolute terms, beans have the highest potassium content of all foods, such as 1503 mg/100 g in soybeans, 1215 mg/100 g in kidney beans, and 860 mg/100 g in adzuki beans.
Whole grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, and buckwheat are also high in potassium, all above 300 mg/100 g.
PotatoPotatoes are also rich in potassium, of which potatoes and taro contain more than 300 mg/100 g, and yams are around 200 mg/100 g.
Meat and eggsAll animal cells contain potassium, for example, the potassium content of chicken breast is as high as 333 mg/100 g, and the lean potassium content of pigs, cattle and sheep can also reach 200~300 mg/100 g. You can’t eat too much meat, though.
The average potassium content of eggs is 150 mg/100 g, but most people eat only one egg a day.
If you want to get enough potassium, you can combine it like this:
One pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits every day;
Drink at least 300 grams of plain milk or yogurt per day;
1/3~1/2 of the staple food is replaced with legumes and whole grains;
Eat 50~100 grams of potatoes every day;
All kinds of meat are eaten in rotation, 70~150 grams per day, and one egg per day.
Patients with high blood pressure can appropriately increase the intake of vegetables, fruits and grains, and replace ordinary salt with low sodium and high potassium salt.
