Potassium is present in high amounts in fruits and vegetables usually bonded to organic molecules such as citrate, malate and gluconate. These potassium salts have healthy properties because they neutralise acidic components in plasma such as those derived from sulphur containing amino acids. A low blood pH has been linked to a number of health condition, most notably bone loss. This is because the minerals in bone are mobilised to neutralise acidic plasma conditions, at the expense of bone mineral density. Some of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables may therefore derive from their high content of potassium. The usual method for assessing diet quality is the frequent food questionnaire. However, some evidence suggests that urinary potassium might be associated with higher diet quality and might therefore be a good predictor of health.
Research1 has investigated the association of urinary potassium to diet quality in 220 individuals with kidney stones. Patients had their urinary potassium, blood pressure, heart rate, weight and height measured. Each patient also completed a frequent food questionnaire. From the frequent food questionnaire, the recommended food score (an index of diet quality) was compiled. The results showed that urinary potassium was positively associated with vegetables, fruit, wine, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish and poultry. Further, dietary potassium was negatively associated with foods considered detrimental to the health including red meat, fast food and high-energy drinks. Potassium was also associated with body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate. These data suggest that urinary potassium is a useful marker of diet quality and could be used to detect poor dietary habits.
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