Low potassium and joint pain have been linked in studies. The studies state that low potassium levels can lead to inflammation and joint pain, and it shows that the average diet is deficient in potassium. I have the opportunity to test out that nutritional tip this week. We just got home from a fun vacation with my family to Southern California. There were 3 days of sandwiches and pizza. Besides the heaps of mushrooms on my pizza, veggies were pretty hard to find. Yes, I could have grabbed a raw carrot or a pressed juice. I just don’t eat vegetables that way.
By Monday my joints were really sore. I don’t know if it was the heat, the terrible diet or too much salt. It is awful to feel so much older older than I am. I have been hunched over and complaining a lot. You may remember I have a 2 year old, so this state of being just wasn’t going to work.
I remembered a conversation with a friend about the benefits of potassium on joint pain. I decided to put this theory to work, and do some research.
“Deficiency Symptoms of Potassium
Deficiency of any nutrient in the body is undesirable and potassium is not an exception. A diet deficient in potassium may lead to symptoms like fatigue and muscle weakness. Other indications for a deficiency of potassium include inactive reflexes, abnormal heartbeat, heart palpitations, anemia and severe headaches. Potassium-deficient people may also experience high blood pressure, pain in their intestines, swelling in their glands and diabetes as serious side effects of this deficiency.” – Organic Facts
Oh no. It is worse than I thought. After a quick scan, I don’t have any of these other symptoms.
My Remedy – Potassium Packed Pumpkin Smoothie
I was super excited to find that pumpkin is packed with potassium, and I love this recipe from Whole Foods for a pumpkin smoothie. If you are not already stalking whole foods for recipes, you should start. These recipes has helped me so much in my weight loss. I make these all year because I love pumpkin.
Blend these Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 cup unsweetened soymilk or coconut milk beverage
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 5 ice cubes
She blends and sips
Potassium in Pumpkin
There are 394 mg of potassium in a cup of pumpkin, and that is more than most other fruits and vegetables. Bananas, Sweet Potatoes and Avocados top the list as well. I don’t know if this is enough, but I am excited to see. I am making this delicious smoothie and drinking it tonight. My body has all night to absorb and recover. I’ve been in pain for 48 hours without any relief, so this will be interesting.
Goodbye for now….
Potassium and Joint Pain – Results
Oh wow… it is the next day and my joints feel significantly better. This is very interesting. Could it be coincidental? It is entirely possible. In conclusion, if my single person study is correct then it seems like there could be a correlation between potassium and joint pain. Most noteworthy, I got to enjoy my favorite pumpkin smoothy.
Will you try this as well? Leave us a comment.
