I take potassium BHB both for the BHB and the potassium.
Potassium BHB is amazingly hygroscopic. Usually supplied with a silica gel pack to keep it from clumping.
It dissolves instantly in a little water. That is how I take it, 10 grams of potassium BHB in about 1/2 oz of water, throw it back like a shot of tequila with an additional water chaser. It tastes sweet/salty.
I have tried all of the BHB salts and this is the least nasty of the bunch, plus it instantly dissolves. A shot in the morning keeps my blood pressure below 120 all day.

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It is very hard to get enough potassium, so I supplement with potassium salt (heavily, about 1/2 tablespoon per day). Even then, Iā€™m barely over the RDA.

I use potassium BHB. Old people like me get increasing ā€œstiffening of the arteriesā€ which raises blood pressure. Rather than get a prescription blood pressure medicine. I have chosen to take the potassium BHB salts. I take 10 grams in the morning in about 1 oz of water. It is highly hygroscopic and doesnā€™t taste all that bad.
It keeps my resting systolic pressure below 120 all day long.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Pure+Original+Ingredients+Potassium+BHB&crid=2R6U0GEFG9GB9&sprefix=pure+original+ingredients+potassium+bhb%2Caps%2C349&ref=nb_sb_noss

What potassium serum level do you have?


I have noticed that my potassium levels have varied much more since I started rapamycin.

Thanks for that. Mine varies between 4.4 and 5.6. There is some interesting research that indicates taking potassium chloride 25% as a part of table salt (75% NaCl) is better than 100% NaCl. I wonder if there is a more general benefit for having a pretty good potassium level. One of my labs has a max normal of 5.3 and another 5.6 (that may be analyzer related).

When I am not drinking I can get a reasonably good bp measurement.

When I am drinking the vasodilative effect I think mainly of acetate takes the BP down, but brings up the HR. I donā€™t have an image for that, but an example is 104/56-59

Sorry to open this old thread but I need potassium guidance, pretty please.

Iā€™ve learned from @DrFraser and the cardiologist he follows that Iā€™m supposed to consume 6000mg of potassium per day.

This seems like it should be easy but Iā€™m stumped on the healthiest way to accomplish this.

Iā€™ve used chronometer and plugged in all the high potassium foods, including adding bananas and potatoes which are not ideal, and I still fall way way short of this numberā€¦ by thousandsā€¦

Iā€™ve googled for potassium supplements

For example, when looking at pills, if from a well known brand, the highest number I have found is 99mg citrate per pill. Higher if itā€™s chloride. Either way, that would be a lot of pills.

When looking at this NOW bottle of powder, I presume I count the elemental amount (448mg), but even at the total amount (1400mg) that would be adding a lot of ā€˜saltā€™ to my diet and seems like it would make things taste bad (I donā€™t use a lot of salt)

In this lesser known brand of pills, they have a higher dose than most, but again, I assume I need elemental and 360 still leaves me way short.

Any suggestions? Are you all still fans of BHB, which I had not heard of until now?

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The word ā€œsaltā€ has two meanings. It is a ā€œany chemical compound formed from the reaction of an acid with a base, with all or part of the hydrogen of the acid replaced by a metal or other cation.ā€ or it is Sodium Chloride. (Sea Salt)

K3C6H5O7 - Potassium Citrate is ā€œa saltā€, but it is not ā€œSaltā€

To be honest I think one of the issues with Sodium Chloride is the Chloride, I am not sure that Sodium supplementation without the chloride is that difficult.

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Beans and lentils are excellent sources of potassium. White beans, in particular, stand out, with 1 cup (179 grams) providing 839 mg of potassiumā€”more than twice the amount in a banana.

Regarding potassium supplements, you may not be aware of their history. High-dose potassium tablets (especially potassium chloride, not dietary potassium or citrate powders) were once associated with serious gastrointestinal injuries, including bowel perforations. This was likely due to localized high concentrations damaging the mucosal lining. Because of these risks, the government set a 99 mg limit on over-the-counter potassium supplements.

For 99 mg potassium citrate supplements taken with food, the risks are negligible. The primary concerns apply to high-dose potassium chloride tablets and hyperkalemia (high blood potassium levels), particularly in individuals with kidney impairment, diabetes, or those taking ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium-sparing diuretics.

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@PBJ I didnā€™t know anything about the potential risks of potassium chloride, so itā€™s a good thing I checked with you!!! That was super helpful!

I didnā€™t know white beans were particularly good, so Iā€™m glad you pointed this out.

I have either a can of cannellini beans or chickpeas on most days.

I just plugged one can of each, plus a cup of lentils into cronometer, and while I would never eat all those beans in one day, that would still leave me 3700mg away from the daily goal of 6000mg of potassium

Iā€™m not even sure what good this is supposed to do other than ā€˜he said soā€™ā€¦ but how would you suggest I get there? Or is this just one of those things that is not practical to do?

And @John_Hemmingā€¦ ha! I have no idea what you just said :kissing_heart:

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Potassium Citrate is the sort of compound that is called ā€œa saltā€, but it is not ā€œsea saltā€. If you are trying to reduce salt in your diet that is normally Sea Salt which is a compound called Sodium Chloride.

Hence there is no issue having the Potassium Citrate powder (save questions as to how much Potassium/Sodium etc you want in your diet and also how much citrate).

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Thank you for dumbing it down for meā€¦ by George, I think Iā€™ve got it!!! :slight_smile:

Yes, I donā€™t need to reduce regular sodium in my dietā€¦ I under-salt if anythingā€¦

But my challenge is figuring out how to consume and extra 3000mg or so each day of potassiumā€¦ sounds like potassium citrate powder is the way to goā€¦ and then I just have to figure out how to choke that down without hating itā€¦ thank you.

PS I donā€™t know anything about citratesā€¦ only that Iā€™ve seen you mention them and that they are a good thing

Potassium from diet is fine. But please be careful with supplements, hyperkalemia is real and life threatening, I have actually known someone who almost died from it. The biggest danger acutely is with CV events, and longer term kidney health especially for the reno impaired. The problem with these super high level recommendations is that they donā€™t take into account sodium intake and levels in the body. Many health oriented people have low sodium intake (which is good!), and in that context supplementing with high potassium can be dangerous. One size does not fit all, if you are a small person, your blood volume is going to be smaller and you should not hold to some absurd potassium level recommendations. YMMV.

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It is the usual thing of people using the same word for different things. It is hard to spot.

I would be careful in trying to build up to an extra 3g of K in a day. Do it gradually so if there are any issues you can stop doing it.

Potassium is one of those elements with a Chemical Symbol (K) that is not from the English name.

Oddly enough the Amino Acid symbol for Lysine is also K. (because leucine had dibs on L).

Hence a HDAC is sometimes known as a KDAC. (A lysine deacetylase)

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I used to take potassium citrate, because its essentially impossible to get 5 or 6 grams a day through diet alone, and citrate seemed benign. But it turned out that itā€™s not citrate like in Vitamin C. It turns into bicarbonate, which is the classic base, and my urine ended up getting too alkaline. I canā€™t remember the number but it wasnā€™t just near the top, it was way over. I still use a little but also a little potassium chloride, and a fair amount of potassium glycinate, and a fair amount of potassium BHG. I have a pretty good diet, but I would suspect I might get 2-3grs of potassium a day from food, no way Iā€™m hitting 5grs just through food. My wife drinks something called Vita-Coco the day before a race and for a natural product its high potassium, half a gram per 8oz.

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Not doubting the good doctor here, but he probably wasnā€™t writing a universal prescription. You donā€™t need six grams a day. Balance is the key. As others have said, the risk of hyperkalemia is real.

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@Tom_Clark and @Tim

I canā€™t thank you all enough for helping me on this issue. I truly had no idea there could be any potential for harm, and had I known a good way to accomplish my mission, I would have gone all in without asking!

Sometimes clueless works for me :slight_smile:

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It is true that citrates are alkaline, but that is better than acid. I have had alkaline urine pH 9 for a few years.