Don't get me wrong--bananas are great, perfect for all occasions. It's just that other foods deserve the attention for their potassium content because, honestly, it was not until recently that I was able to list at least five other potassium-rich foods besides bananas.
Potassium helps stabilize your heartbeat, regulates body fluids, improves blood pressure and balances low blood sugar. In addition, a lack of potassium can cause muscle weakness, confusion, cramps and an irregular heartbeat. One study done by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that adequate potassium intake lowers the risk of stroke.
I must warn you before you head out and binge on potassium that there is such thing as a potassium overdose, and too much potassium can lead to an electrolyte imbalance in your system. Some people with medical conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and even people going through chemotherapy are at higher risk for a condition called hyperkalemia, which is excess potassium levels in the blood. Now that you are aware of this, check out the foods below.
1. Avocados
A 100 gram serving of avocado contains 485 milligrams of potassium. A 100 gram portion of banana contains 358 milligrams. For perspective, a medium-size avocado contains 975 milligrams of potassium and one small banana contains 362 milligrams of potassium. The wonderful avocado wins this round.
2. Beet Greens
InAweofGod'sCreation on Flickr
A one half cup serving of beet greens (74 grams) contains 654 milligrams of potassium whereas a medium banana (118 grams) contains 422 milligrams of potassium. Once again, the banana loses this round.
3. Carrots
Ten baby carrots have 320 milligrams of potassium. One cup of carrot juice has 689 milligrams of potassium. A typical Chiquita banana has 422 milligrams of potassium. Carrot juice wins.
4. Potato
One medium baked potato has around 738 milligrams of potassium and one medium sweet potato has around 542 milligrams of potassium. Compared to the Chiquita banana, both the sweet potato and baked potato have over 120 milligrams of potassium.
5. Orange Juice
Kyle McDonald on Flickr
Make your morning a little sweeter with some freshly squeezed orange juice. One cup contains 496 milligrams of potassium. A final loss for the banana proves more foods deserve more credit for their potassium.
While the bioavailability of foods and how much of the nutrients you absorb from foods are an entirely different thing, hopefully you have a better idea of how much potassium is in foods besides bananas. Now that I have comfortably overused the word potassium, I'm gonna go eat a baked potato.