The Effect of Potatoes on Potassium Retention, Acid Base Balance, and Blood Pressure

Potassium is a shortfall nutrient according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Only 3% of Americans meet the recommended Adequate Intake of 4700 mg/d for potassium. Average potassium intake is approximately half of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), with potatoes providing the highest percentage (19-20% of potassium) in the American diet. Recommended dietary potassium intakes were determined primarily to optimize protection against hypertension and secondarily to protect against stroke and coronary heart disease. In setting requirements for most minerals, bioavailability is usually considered. However, little is known about bioavailability of potassium and what is known is from supplements rather than food. Recently, we performed a potassium bioavailability study on white potatoes looking at 35 healthy, normotensive men and women at 3 levels of potassium intake as potatoes or potassium gluconate supplements. Bioavailability of potassium was determined from AUC of serial blood draws and cumulative urinary excretion. Serum potassium Area Under the Curve (AUC )increased with dose (P<0.0001) and did not differ due to source (p=0.52). Cumulative 24 h urinary potassium also increased with dose (p<0.0001) and was greater with potato than supplement (p<0.0001), concluding that bioavailability of potassium is as high from potatoes as from supplements. These data allow us to evaluate the quality of the food as a source of potassium. However, a remaining question is whether retention of potassium from potatoes is higher than from the salt, which requires a metabolic balance study to determine. The effects of potassium rich foods on blood pressure have also been recently accessed. A controlled feeding study would properly capture potassium retention and balance, as well as adequately control for any positive benefit potassium may have on blood pressure and other vascular outcomes.

Increasing potassium citrate decreased titratable acidity and improved calcium retention in a dose response manner in postmenopausal women. There is one Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of potassium on bone, in postmenopausal women, showing a benefit of a supplement of potassium chloride on protecting against bone loss. Similar studies have not been performed with food sources of potassium.

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of added potassium (K) from potatoes in the diet on K retention , blood pressure, and parameters related to bone health including calcium retention and acid base balance.