High Potassium Foods Leaching Process

What exactly is potassium, and why does it matter to you?

Potassium is a mineral that may be found in a variety of foods. It helps to keep your heartbeat steady and your muscles performing properly. Healthy kidneys are responsible for maintaining the proper quantity of potassium in your body.

When your kidneys are unhealthy, you may need to limit some meals that might raise the potassium level in your blood to harmful levels. If your potassium level is high, you may experience weakness, numbness, and tingling. A high potassium level might induce an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack.

People should not completely eliminate potassium because it is a vital vitamin that helps control many of the body's processes.


Potassium Roles in the body:

Potassium serves numerous important functions in the body, including:

  • Assisting the muscles to contract.
  • Preserving electrolyte balance.
  • Controlling blood pressure.
  • Maintaining the heart in good working order.
  • Assisting with rubbish removal.
  • Encouraging cell growth and health.
  • Supplying oxygen to the brain.
  • Regulating the metabolic process.


Medications used to treat kidney disease can also cause potassium levels to rise. Making dietary modifications is one of the most effective strategies to control potassium levels. This may imply avoiding high-potassium foods in favor of low-potassium alternatives.


Keeping your potassium levels from getting too high:

  • Do not consume or utilize the liquid from canned fruits and vegetables, or the fluids from cooked meat.
  • Remember that potassium is found in practically all foods. The serving size is critical. A big amount of a low potassium food can be converted into a high potassium food.
  • If you are on dialysis, make sure you receive all of the treatments or exchanges that have been recommended to you.
  • If you wish to incorporate any potassium-rich vegetables in your diet, leach them first. Leaching is the technique of extracting potassium from a vegetable. At the conclusion of this fact page, you'll find instructions for leaching chosen high potassium veggies. Consult your dietician about how much leached high potassium veggies you may safely include in your diet.


HIGH POTASSIUM FOODS:

Here's a list of potassium-rich foods to help you buy wisely and plan your meals based on your dietitian's recommendations.

Remember that potassium needs vary from person to person, so talk to your dietitian about your potassium level and if you should restrict or increase your intake of the following items.


FRUITS HIGH IN POTASSIUM

Serving size: 1 small piece or ½ cup

  • Avocado
  • Banana
  • Cantaloupe
  • Dates
  • Dried apricots
  • Dried bananas
  • Dried figs
  • Dried peaches
  • Honeydew
  • Kiwi
  • Nectarine
  • Orange
  • Papaya
  • Peach
  • Prunes
  • Raisins
  • Rhubarb


VEGETABLES HIGH IN POTASSIUM

Serving size: ½ cup fresh or cooked or 1 cup raw leafy


  • Acorn squash
  • Beet greens
  • Butternut squash
  • Chard
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Collard greens
  • Edamame
  • Hubbard squash
  • Kohlrabi
  • Mushrooms
  • Parsnips
  • Plantain
  • Pumpkin
  • Rutabaga
  • Spinach (cooked)
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Tomato paste
  • Tomato sauce
  • Tomatoes (canned)
  • White potatoes
  • Yams



FLUIDS HIGH IN POTASSIUM
Serving size: 4 ounces
  • Carrot juice
  • Coconut milk
  • Orange juice
  • Pomegranate juice
  • Prune juice
  • Tomato juice
  • Vegetable juice

Leaching process for vegetables (Step by step):

Some potassium-rich crops will benefit from the leaching process. It is critical to realize that leaching will not extract all of the potassium from the vegetable. You should nevertheless restrict your consumption of leached high-potassium veggies. Inquire with your dietician about the quantity of leached veggies you may consume safely.

In the case of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, and rutabagas:

let's begin!

  1. Peel the vegetables and soak them in cold water to prevent them from becoming black.
  2. Slice vegetable 1/8 inch thick
  3. Rinse for a few seconds in warm water.
  4. Soak in warm water for at least two hours. Use 10 times the amount of water in relation to the amount of veggies. If soaking for an extended period of time, replace the water every four hours.
  5. Rinse for a few seconds more under warm water.
  6. Cook the vegetable in five times the quantity of water as the veggie.

People with CKD should make an effort to reduce their potassium intake. It is also critical that they undergo frequent doctor examinations to monitor their renal function.
In addition to working with a doctor, meeting with a dietician who can assist a person comprehend nutrition labels, reduce portion sizes, and plan meals may be beneficial.