Weight Loss Diet

Introduction History Popularity Principles Research Foods emphasized Foods avoided

Nutrient excesses/deficiencies Who benefits Who is harmed Menu ideas Resources References

Introduction

Obesity is one of the most significant public health problems facing the United States. Excess weight is associated with increased risk for many diseases including diabetes, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for weight loss, and many overweight people struggle for years to shed unwanted pounds. Researchers now believe that successful and permanent weight loss is only possible with comprehensive lifestyle changes that address eating behaviors, physical activity, and psychological factors such as goal-setting and self-esteem issues.
Losing weight is virtually impossible without cutting back on calories, but calorie restriction should not be so severe that you are hungry all of the time or that you are unable to attain sufficient amounts of essential nutrients.
The best approach is to moderately restrict calories and increase physical activity, so that you are able to burn more calories than you take in. A healthy weight-loss diet should include lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. To help reduce caloric intake, cut back on sweetened beverages, and high-fat, high-calorie desserts and snack foods.

History

More than half of American adults are currently overweight, a number that has climbed steadily since the early 1960s. Since the late 1980's, the number of overweight children in the United States has more than doubled, so that now at least 11% of American children are overweight.
Throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, a countless number of fad diets for weight loss, from the Cabbage Soup Diet to the Atkins Diet, have captured the attention of the American public. Unfortunately, most of these diets produce similar results — quick, but temporary weight loss.

Popularity

As the United States population gets fatter and fatter, the American obsession with weight loss becomes more firmly entrenched in our society. Each year, more than one-half of all Americans start a weight reduction diet and nearly 50 million Americans are on a diet at any given time.
All this adds up to more than $30 billion spent each year trying to shed unwanted pounds - a number 1.5 times the gross domestic product of an entire country like Afghanistan.

Principles

In theory, the secret to weight loss is simple — eat fewer calories than your body burns to fuel normal physiological functions and physical activity. Your body expends a great deal of calories just to maintain your body temperature, to fuel functions essential to life such as circulation and respiration, and to fuel muscle movements during exercise.
When the amount of calories we eat is equal to the amount of calories we burn, our weight is stable. On the other hand, when we eat more calories than we burn, the extra calories are stored as fat and we begin to gain weight. One pound of stored fat is equivalent to 3,500 stored calories, which means that if you eat 500 more calories than you need each day for a week, you will gain one pound of body weight.
So, how can you get rid of those unwanted pounds? Most of the people who are able to lose weight and keep it off, use a two-pronged approach. This approach involves cutting back on calories slightly and increasing physical exercise.
Let's say your goal is to lose one pound per week. Remember that one pound of stored fat contains 3,500 calories. If you do nothing but cut calories, you will have to eat 500 fewer calories per day to lose one pound a week. For many people, cutting calories this severely is worse than torture, as they feel hungry all of the time and are tempted to cheat.
But, if you increase your physical activity and by doing so burn an extra 250 calories per day, then you need to cut only 250 calories out of your diet to achieve your weight-loss goal of one pound per week. For the average person, it takes between 25-50 minutes to burn 250 calories. A precise determination of how long it takes an individual to burn up 250 calories depends on what that person is doing and what his or her body composition is (weight, body fat percentage), but a good estimate can be made by simply counting each minute of non-stressful activity as burning 5 calories. Non-stressful activity includes fairly brisk walking and very leisurely swimming. On a treadmill going all-out at 15 METS, a good estimate of caloric expenditure is 15 calories per minute. Although many aerobic machines indicate that approximately 10 calories are burned per minute even at lower levels of activity, this is frequently an overestimate. To sum up, we recommend estimating that between 5-10 calories are burned per minute depending upon your level of activity, which translates to somewhere between 25-50 minutes to burn 250 calories. Exercise has on-going benefits for weight loss, as well.
When you exercise, you build muscle mass. By increasing your muscle mass (also called lean body mass), you raise your resting metabolic rate, which means that your body burns more calories just to maintain your body temperature and keep vital functions going. And, as you build muscle mass you will notice changes in your body shape. Plus, people who exercise often report feeling better and have a more positive outlook.
You can burn 250 calories by walking at a brisk pace, cycling for about 45 minutes, or running for 20-30 minutes. You can also burn extra calories simply by increasing your activity around the house and in your garden. Find a few different activities that you enjoy, and vary your routine from time to time.
If possible, pair up with someone of similar endurance level. Exercising with a friend can be more fun and help keep you motivated. If you do not currently exercise, consult a physician before initiating an exercise program.
As you begin your weight-loss program, be prepared for a long battle, a battle that is as much psychological as it is physical. Be patient, set realistic goals, enjoy your more active lifestyle, and focus on healthy eating instead of dieting.
Not sure how to cut back on calories? Here are a few tips to help prevent unnecessary consumption:

• Avoid eating until "you can't eat another bite." In addition, avoid going too long without food. If you wait to eat until you are "starving," you are likely to have less control over what and how much you eat.
• Eat only when you are hungry. You might be surprised how often you eat for emotional reasons. So, try to be aware of when you are eating to cover up feelings of loneliness, sadness, or anger, and seek an activity besides eating to meet your emotional needs.
• Do not combine eating with other activities, such as reading or watching television. Research indicates that a major cause of weight gain is "unconscious" consumption of food. Many people eat up to 1000 more calories each day than they think they do.
• Never go to the grocery store on an empty stomach. If you shop when you are ravenous, you will be tempted to buy unhealthy foods.
• Slow down! Make mealtimes relaxing and enjoyable. Eat only when sitting down, chew each bite many times, and put your fork down between mouthfuls.
• Drop out of the "clean your plate club." If you are full, it is OK to leave a few bites of food on your plate!

Sidebar: Taking A Closer Look at Calories and Weight LossThe relationship between calorie intake and weight management has always been a controversial one. Within the general U.S. public, the number of people who have tried calorie-counting as a means of weight loss — and failed — is surely a very high number.
It should not be surprising that calorie counting has always been a topic of controversy in the field of nutrition. The concept of a "calorie" is a concept that is difficult to understand, in and of itself. When organizations like the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Dietetic Association all endorse approaches to weight loss that focus in part on calorie counting and calorie intake, it is not surprising that these public health recommendations are frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted.

What Is a Calorie?

In simplest terms, a calorie isn't any kind of "thing" whatsoever. Calories are not like proteins, or carbohydrates, or vitamins, or any kind of nutrient. You can find protein in food. You can find vitamins in food. Yet, you cannot find a calorie in any food at all. Calories do not exist in that way.
Calories are units of measurement. They are like inches, miles, ounces, degrees of temperature, pounds, tons, gallons, and acres. They are just a way of understanding how much of something is present. In the case of calories, this something is energy. The amount of energy associated with any set of events can be measured in terms of calories. Calories don't have to involve food. For example, there are a specific number of calories that any electrical wire can carry without catching fire. There are a specific number of calories that strike the earth each day in the form of sunlight. Calories are not found in food. They are only related to food insofar as food has the potential to be measured as a form of energy.

Can Food Calories Be Accurately Measured?

Hundreds of internet website post lists of foods and calories. The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes a searchable online database (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/) with calorie information on literally thousands of foods.
Is the information provided by the USDA and other websites accurate? Unfortunately, the answer is both yes and no. Yes, there are solid scientific studies using real foods and real laboratory conditions to support the specific calorie numbers that appear in the USDA database and in other published lists of food and calories This research can be very high quality, sophisticated, and scientifically sound. But it is research based on laboratory analysis — not research based on the passage of real food through a person's digestive tract. Unless food gets digested, it cannot provide us with any calories (energy).
When food calories are measured in a lab, a device called a bomb calorimeter is used. This device measures energy in the form of heat. Within this device, a highly oxygenated, sealed chamber containing a food sample is floated in water. An electrical current is used to ignite the food-oxygen mixture, and as it burns, the water surrounding the floating chamber heats up. The number of calories in the food is determined by the change in water temperature. A high-calorie food gets the water hotter by releasing more heat energy than a low-calorie one.
The human body, of course, is not nearly as simple as a lab device. We don't digest food by setting it on fire. We digest is chemically, and our biochemistry is highly individual — in fact, unique. The calories of energy we obtain (or don't obtain) from food can vary significantly, and some individuals are better matched to one kind of food versus another. Even though calories can be measured accurately in a lab where they appear to be a fixed attribute of food, once we get inside a living person, and a uniquely biochemical digestive tract, all bets are off when it comes to a rigid set of calorie predictions.

How Is Weight Related to Energy?

Our body weight consists of three main components: water, muscle mass, and fat mass. With respect to water weight, we're usually within the vicinity of 60% total weight. A person weighing 150 pounds would be expected to contain about 60% of those pounds, or 90 pounds, in the form of water.
Living, moving, staying warm, and all other body functions require energy. At least some of this energy must come to us daily in the form of food. Other portions of this energy can come from combustion of fat in our fat cells. If our bodies need more energy than we provide ourselves through food, our bodies obtain this needed energy from stored fat. (In certain situations, including emergency situations, our bodies also use starches stored in our muscles and liver and proteins found in the muscles themselves.)
When any component of our total body weight goes down (water, muscle, or fat) while the other components remain steady, we lose weight. When one component goes up to the same extent that another goes down, we remain the same weight. Over time, if our bodies require more energy than we provide ourselves through food, we always lose weight. This "always" cannot be measured in terms of hours, or even a few days. But over the course of time, it is not possible for us to remain the same weight if we maintain the same percent water weight and expend more energy than our digested food provides.

Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, and Calories

The laboratory-based rules in nutrition have always been simple: proteins and carbohydrates have traditionally been said to contain 4 calories per gram. Fats have been said to contain 9 calories per gram. This calorie-based description of the three primary macronutrients has been used as the basis for dozens of weight loss programs, especially programs that advocate low-fat, reduced-calorie intake. These programs are based on sound science, but once again, the science is laboratory science, not human digestive tract science.
The reasoning behind these low-fat, calorie-based approaches to weight loss has been simple. Why risk consumption of one macronutrient type (fat) when that nutrient type contains more than twice as many calories (9 per gram) as the other two basic types (protein and carbohydrate at 4 per gram)? While this reasoning seems sound in terms of the mathematics, the successful weight loss experience of many individuals on high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets has seemed to contradict it. But there is not really a contradiction here at all. Individuals are not identical in their digestion. They are differently matched to different foods. Some individuals clearly do better on higher fat, lower carbohydrate diets — even if those diets contain the exact same number of calories as higher carbohydrate, lower fat diets! Figuring out the best dietary balance for your weight management — especially the best balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats — is important. It's also a task that is separate and apart from the task of counting calories.

How Do Calories Matter?

If human digestion of food is so individualized and different from the laboratory analyses, do the lab analyses of food calories really matter? Yes, they do! No matter how well matched you are to your weight management meal plan, you simply cannot lose weight if you do not pay any attention whatsoever to portion control and general calorie intake. You cannot lose weight if your body digests food and releases the exact same amount of energy from the food needed to maintain your muscle mass, fat mass, and water weight. In this sense, calories definitely matter. Anyone who stands between 5 feet and 6 feet tall, thinks they can refrain from exercising, eat 5,000 calories' worth of food on a day-in and day-out basis and lose weight is mistaken. Paying attention to calories is worthwhile. A 2009 study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and Louisiana State University showed that cutting back on calories, even by as little as 225 calories per day, may be more important than the balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in a diet. Studies show that it is possible to go too far, of course, and to cut back further on calories to the extent that healthy weight loss is not possible. At least one study has shown that healthy young women, when cutting back close to the 1,000 calories-per-day level, tend to experience unwanted hormonal shifts and loss of muscle strength, even when protein intake is kept high. That same study showed that young women who reduced their calories — but only to the level of 1,330 calories-per-day — were able to prevent these unwanted changes. But calories aren't the whole story, and it's still important to find the right match of foods for you, and a diet that you truly look forward to eating because of its delicious, attractive, and fresh foods.

Research

A growing body of scientific research confirms the health risks associated with being overweight. For example, in 2001, results of a 10-year research project evaluating health risks in female nurses and male health professionals were published.
Researchers reported that the risk of developing diabetes, gallstones, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, and stroke increased progressively with the level of being overweight among both women and men. The most obese members of the study population were 20 times more likely to develop diabetes than their normal weight peers.
Additionally, both men and women who were overweight but not obese were significantly more likely than their leaner peers to develop gallstones, hypertension, high cholesterol level, and heart disease.
Unfortunately, the fact that the dangers of being overweight and obese are well-documented doesn't make it any easier to lose weight. Many overweight people try every fad diet and prescription medication available for weight loss, and some even resort to stomach stapling or partial stomach removal to help them shed excess pounds.
Unfortunately, only a small number of people who try to lose weight ever attain their weight loss goals, and still fewer are able to keep the lost pounds off for more than 1 year. Many researchers now believe that the key to successful weight loss is to accomplish comprehensive lifestyle changes, a process that involves removing bad habits and replacing them with good habits related to eating behaviors and physical activity.
In addition, lifestyle change must also include the shaping of positive attitudes about oneself and goal-setting. The bottom line? Weight loss is a slow, difficult process, but one that can be made easier if you are ready to address many areas of your life and if you are willing to reach out for support from health professionals, friends, and family members.

Foods Emphasized

A weight-loss diet should include lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. These foods are naturally low in calories and fat, and contain essential vitamins and minerals. They're also rich in dietary fiber, which can help regulate your appetite.
Although restricting high-fat foods can help cut calories, don't limit your intake of fat too much, and take care to include a source ofomega 3 fats such as flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, or halibut in your diet everyday.

Foods Avoided

One easy way to cut calories is to limit your intake of pre-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit juice, and iced tea and to avoid adding sugar to coffee and tea. Sweetened beverages can contribute lots of extra calories, without providing any nutrients.
Dieters may also want to avoid high-fat desserts and snack foods, as these foods pack lots of calories. Although it is tempting to switch to "fat-free" foods, be aware that these foods often contain a high amount of calories despite the fact that they don't contain fat.

Nutrient Excesses/Deficiencies

Weight loss is nearly impossible without moderate calorie restriction. However, despite calorie restriction, a carefully planned weight-loss diet should include the recommended amounts of all essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids.
Avoid weight-loss diets that severely restrict calories, allowing less than 1200 calories per day, unless these diets are part of a medically-monitored weight-loss program.

Who Benefits

Weight loss is beneficial for anyone who weighs more than their ideal body weight. Weight loss is especially beneficial for overweight people who have been diagnosed with any medical condition, most notably adult onset diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Who is Harmed

As long as weight loss proceeds at a gradual, steady rate (no more than 1 pound per week), following a well-balanced diet, weight-loss does not pose any health risks.
Overweight children, however, should not be placed on calorie-restricted diets unless medically monitored by a primary care practitioner. Instead, children should be encouraged to increase their physical activity and limit the consumption of junk foods.

Menu Ideas

Dieting does not have to be dull and boring! The World's Healthiest Foods, naturally low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals, fit perfectly into a weight-loss plan. See for yourself with the following one-day meal plan below:

Breakfast

• Tropical Breakfast Risotto
• Calories: 417
• Fiber: 3.8 grams
• Total fat: 25.8 grams

Lunch

• Black Bean Salad
• Calories: 223
• Fiber: 8.3 grams
• Total fat: 8.4 grams

Dinner

• Steamed Salmon and Asparagus with Mustard Dill Sauce
• Large Romaine Lettuce Salad
• Calories: 480
• Fiber: 4.4 grams
• Total fat: 29.6 grams

Resources

For additional weight-loss tips, check out the official web site of the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org. For more information on cutting the fat out of your diet, read about the Low-Fat Diet.

References

• Blackburn GL, Phillips JC, Morreale S. Physician's guide to popular low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets. Cleve Clin J Med 2001 Sep;68(9):761, 765-6, 768-9, 773-4. 2001. PMID:18590.
• Field AE, Coakley EH, et al. Impact of overweight on the risk of developing common chronic diseases during a 10-year period. Arch Intern Med 2001; 161(13):1581-6. 2001.
• Finer N. Low-calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obes Res 2001 Nov;9 Suppl 4:290S-4S. 2001. PMID:18580.
• Foreyt JP, Goodrick GK. Dieting and weight loss: the energy perspective. Nutr Rev 2001 Jan;59(1 Pt 2):S25-6. 2001. PMID:18660.
• Jakicic JM, Clark K, Coleman E, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Appropriate intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001 Dec;33(12):2145-56. 2001. PMID:18560.
• Kennedy ET, Bowman SA, Spence JT, et al. Popular diets: correlation to health, nutrition, and obesity. J Am Diet Assoc 2001 Apr;101(4):411-20. 2001. PMID:18650.
• Kral JG. Morbidity of severe obesity. Surg Clin North Am 2001; 81(5): 1039-61. 2001.
• Lustig RH. The neuroendocrinology of childhood obesity. Pediatr Clin North Am 2001 Aug;48(4):909-30. 2001. PMID:18630.
• Mahan K, Escott-Stump S. Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy. WB Saunders Company; Philadelphia, 1996. 1996.
• Mero AA, Huovinen H, Matintupa O, et al. Moderate energy restriction with high protein diet results in healthier outcome in women. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:4 (25 January 2010). 2010.
• Rippe JM, McInnis KJ, Melanson KJ. Physician involvement in the management of obesity as a primary medical condition. Obes Res 2001 Nov;9 Suppl 4:302S-11S. 2001. PMID:18570.
• Sothern MS. Exercise as a modality in the treatment of childhood obesity. Pediatr Clin North Am 2001 Aug;48(4):995-1015. 2001. PMID:18620.
• Valente AM, Strong W, Sinaiko AR. Obesity and insulin resistance in young people. Am Heart J 2001 Sep;142(3):440-4. 2001. PMID:18600.
• Wing RR, Hill JO. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annu Rev Nutr 2001;21:323-41. 2001. PMID:18640.
• Yao M, Roberts SB. Dietary energy density and weight regulation. Nutr Rev 2001 Aug;59(8 Pt 1):247-58. 2001. PMID:18610.

Potassium

World's Healthiest Foods rich in
potassium

FoodCalsDRI/DV

 Swiss Chard3527.4%

 Lima Beans21627.2%

 Sweet Potato18027.1%

 Potatoes16126.4%

 Soybeans29825.3%

 Spinach4123.9%

 Pinto Beans24521.3%

 Lentils23020.8%

 Avocado24020.7%

 Kidney Beans22520.4%

For serving size for specific foods see the Nutrient Rating Chart.

Basic Description Role in Health Support Summary of Food Sources Nutrient Rating Chart Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing Risk of Dietary Deficiency Other Circumstances that Might Contribute to Deficiency

Relationship with Other Nutrients Risk of Dietary Toxicity Disease Checklist Public Health Recommendations References

Basic Description

Potassium is a mineral found in varying amounts in almost all foods. Vegetables, especially green leafy varieties, are generally our richest sources of potassium.
We list three excellent sources of potassium, 16 as very good sources, and 39 as good sources by our Nutrient Rating System. In other words, over half of our WHFoods provide you with significant amounts of potassium! In fact, all of our WHFoods contain at least some small but measurable amount of this mineral.
Along with sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium, potassium is an electrolyte, meaning that it helps to conduct electrical charges in the body. Like all the other electrolytes, our bodies have evolved elaborate systems to control blood levels in a narrow range.
This is good news since normal levels of potassium are absolutely critical to life—if potassium levels get too high or too low, the heart and nervous system completely shut down. Luckily, most of us are able to obtain enough potassium from foods to meet our most basic needs. But since just meeting a minimal intake need is not a recipe for health, many people in the United States often fail to obtain optimal amounts of this nutrient, and pay a health cost for it.
This is because Americans fail to regularly eat fresh fruits and vegetables, while eating heavily salted prepared foods. In fact, a recent survey suggests that only about 5% of Americans meet minimal goals for eating fruits and vegetables. If you do not regularly meet these goals, it will be difficult to ensure your potassium intake will be optimal.
It is impossible to understand the role of potassium without addressing sodium as well. Sodium and potassium exist in a partnership, and each important use of potassium requires sodium to maintain balance. Importantly, as average diets in the United States have become depleted in potassium, they have become much more concentated in sodium.
For example, a heavily salted commercial tomato juice—despite containing a potassium rich food like tomato—often contains a ratio of sodium to potassium of more than 2:1. This ratio is not a desirable one! By comparison, our Mushroom, Tomato, and Basil Frittata has a ratio of sodium to potassium of 1:3, a much more health-promoting pattern. In fact, we believe one of the central benefits of the World's Healthiest Foods approach is the way it rebalances sodium and potassium in a manner that is more consistent with good heart and kidney health.

Role in Health Support

Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure

Diets high in potassium are associated with improved blood pressure control. There are several mechanisms contributing to this beneficial effect, including improved kidney function, reduction in blood clotting, and more efficient opening of blood vessels. Because of these important benefits, therapeutic diets aimed at improving blood pressure control often place primary focus on increasing potassium from foods.
A good example of how foods rich in potassium can decrease elevated blood pressure is seen in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet trials, where participants with high blood pressure who consumed an average of 8 to 10 total servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day experienced significant drops in their blood pressure level. These servings focused on whole food choices similar to those featured in our recipes and the diet avoided processed and salt-choked choices like French fries. One key factor in these blood pressure benefits was the healthy balance of potassium to other minerals in these fresh fruits and vegetables.

Kidney Health

Perhaps the most important way to ensure strong kidney health is to keep your blood pressure under good control. As discussed above, diets high in potassium are well known to help with this.
In addition, diets rich in potassium have been associated with a reduction in kidney stone risk. This is thought to be because the naturally occurring potassium salts in plant foods help to neutralize acidity in the blood stream. This prevents leeching of calcium from the bones to buffer the acid, which in turn reduces urine calcium, preventing its deposition in the form of a stone. Please note that while diets rich in potassium can be helpful in preventing certain kidney-related problems in a healthy people with good kidney function, persons already known to have kidney problems and who are diagnosed with certain diseases of the kidney may need to carefully regulate their intake of potassium, since their kidneys might not otherwise be able to regulate the levels of potassium in their bloodstream.

Summary of Food Sources

Probably the first food that comes to mind when thinking about potassium is the banana. This is not wrong—by our Rating System, bananas are a good source of potassium. But there are 32 foods on our Rating Chart with more potassium per calorie than the banana.
Speaking more generally, the most potassium-rich food sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables. Some legumes, fish, and dairy products can also make important contributions to our daily potassium intake; yet, because these foods have more calories, they are not as highly rated by our Nutrient Richness System. For example, Swiss chard and lima beans both contain nearly 1000 milligrams of potassium, but because a serving of lima beans contains six times as many calories than a serving of chard, the nutrient richness of the chard is higher.
Potassium content within the group of fruits and vegetables can vary widely, even between two foods that seem superficially very similar. For example, a cup of cooked Swiss chard contains more than three times as much potassium as the same amount of kale or mustard greens.
Even with this relatively wide variation, you should feel confident that a largely plant-based diet like the World's Healthiest Foods plan will meet your potassium needs quite readily. In fact, our 7-day meal plan example averages nearly 50% more than the Daily Value (DV) standard for potassium.
Many of our recipes, like this one for Broiled Chicken and this one for Poached Eggs Over Spinach and Mushrooms contain more than half of our recommended daily intake value for potassium. The first of these two recipes contains more potassium than the average adult American woman eats in a single day.

Nutrient Rating Chart

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of potassium. Next to each food name, you'll find the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition, the calories contained in the serving, the amount of potassium contained in one serving size of the food, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of potassium
Food	Serving Size	Cals	Amount (mg)	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Swiss Chard	1 cup	35.0	960.75	27.45	14.1	excellent
Spinach	1 cup	41.4	838.80	23.97	10.4	excellent
Bok Choy	1 cup	20.4	630.70	18.02	15.9	excellent
Beets	1 cup	74.8	518.50	14.81	3.6	very good
Brussels Sprouts	1 cup	56.2	494.52	14.13	4.5	very good
Broccoli	1 cup	54.6	457.08	13.06	4.3	very good
Cantaloupe	1 cup	54.4	427.20	12.21	4.0	very good
Tomatoes	1 cup	32.4	426.60	12.19	6.8	very good
Asparagus	1 cup	39.6	403.20	11.52	5.2	very good
Cabbage	1 cup	43.5	393.00	11.23	4.6	very good
Carrots	1 cup	50.0	390.40	11.15	4.0	very good
Fennel	1 cup	27.0	360.18	10.29	6.9	very good
Summer Squash	1 cup	36.0	345.60	9.87	4.9	very good
Mushrooms, Crimini	1 cup	15.8	322.56	9.22	10.5	very good
Kale	1 cup	36.4	296.40	8.47	4.2	very good
Turnip Greens	1 cup	28.8	292.32	8.35	5.2	very good
Celery	1 cup	16.2	262.60	7.50	8.4	very good
Romaine Lettuce	2 cups	16.0	232.18	6.63	7.5	very good
Bell Peppers	1 cup	28.5	194.12	5.55	3.5	very good
Lima Beans	1 cup	216.2	955.04	27.29	2.3	good
Sweet Potato	1 medium	180.0	950.00	27.14	2.7	good
Potatoes	1 medium	160.9	925.55	26.44	3.0	good
Soybeans	1 cup	297.6	885.80	25.31	1.5	good
Pinto Beans	1 cup	244.5	745.56	21.30	1.6	good
Lentils	1 cup	229.7	730.62	20.87	1.6	good
Avocado	1 cup	240.0	727.50	20.79	1.6	good
Kidney Beans	1 cup	224.8	716.85	20.48	1.6	good
Dried Peas	1 cup	231.3	709.52	20.27	1.6	good
Tuna	4 oz	147.4	597.61	17.07	2.1	good
Papaya	1 medium	118.7	502.32	14.35	2.2	good
Winter Squash	1 cup	75.8	494.05	14.12	3.3	good
Salmon	4 oz	157.6	492.15	14.06	1.6	good
Banana	1 medium	105.0	422.44	12.07	2.1	good
Beef	4 oz	132.7	387.82	11.08	1.5	good
Green Peas	1 cup	115.7	373.30	10.67	1.7	good
Scallops	4 oz	125.9	356.07	10.17	1.5	good
Onions	1 cup	92.4	348.60	9.96	1.9	good
Cod	4 oz	96.4	327.72	9.36	1.7	good
Prunes	0.25 cup	104.4	318.42	9.10	1.6	good
Oranges	1 medium	61.6	237.11	6.77	2.0	good
Mustard Greens	1 cup	36.4	226.80	6.48	3.2	good
Collard Greens	1 cup	62.7	222.30	6.35	1.8	good
Strawberries	1 cup	46.1	220.32	6.29	2.5	good
Kiwifruit	1 2 inches	42.1	215.28	6.15	2.6	good
Raspberries	1 cup	64.0	185.73	5.31	1.5	good
Green Beans	1 cup	43.8	182.50	5.21	2.1	good
Grapefruit	0.50 medium	41.0	177.92	5.08	2.2	good
Cauliflower	1 cup	28.5	176.08	5.03	3.2	good
Watermelon	1 cup	45.6	170.24	4.86	1.9	good
Parsley	0.50 cup	10.9	168.42	4.81	7.9	good
Cucumber	1 cup	15.6	152.88	4.37	5.0	good
Eggplant	1 cup	34.6	121.77	3.48	1.8	good
Figs	1 medium	37.0	116.00	3.31	1.6	good
Turmeric	2 tsp	15.6	111.10	3.17	3.7	good
Sea Vegetables	1 TBS	10.8	110.96	3.17	5.3	good
Chili Peppers	2 tsp	15.2	105.30	3.01	3.6	good
Plum	1 2-1/8 inches	30.4	103.62	2.96	1.8	good
Apricot	1 whole	16.8	90.65	2.59	2.8	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DRI/DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%
very good	DRI/DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%
good	DRI/DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

Like other minerals, potassium is stable to storage. There are not significant changes to the bioavailability of potassium over the storage life of any important food. You do not need to take any special storage precautions to maintain the potassium content of your foods.
Cooking vegetables can lead to loss of some or much of their potassium content. If you follow our recipes carefully, however, enough potassium will be preserved to provide you with health benefits. For example, lightly boiling spinach in the way we describe in our spinach profile leads to a loss of about one-third of the total potassium; yet, as you see from the chart below, cooked spinach still features more than 800 milligrams of potassium—over 20% of the Daily Value (DV).
The key to preserving potassium content of food during cooking is to minimize duration of contact of that food with cooking water. For instance, boiling spinach for a second minute increases the loss of potassium to up to 72% of its initial content. The World's Healthiest Foods cooking methodology is designed to minimize mineral losses, so we recommend you pay close attention to cooking times to ensure good potassium retention in your foods.
It is not uncommon to find added potassium compounds in processed food. Examples include potassium sorbate added to foods as a preservative and mold inhibitor; potassium bisulfite added as a preservative; potassium chloride as a salt replacer; potassium bitartrate as a flavor modifier; and dipotassium phosphate as a stabilizer and de-acidifier. In many cases, the addition of potassium during processing does not add large amounts to average daily potassium intake. However, in the case of processed products like salt substitutes, the addition of potassium can be substantial. Some salt substitute brands using potassium chloride provide over 600 milligrams of potassium in one-quarter teaspoon.

Risk of Dietary Deficiency

We usually use the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) standards from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) when setting our own nutrient recommendations. One subcategory of DRIs are the Adequate Intakes, or AI standards. Based on these AIs, more than 98% of all Americans fail to get enough potassium on a daily basis. With other nutrients, we usually focus on ages, gender, or disease conditions as special risk categories for deficiency. When we discuss potassium, though, virtually everybody is at risk for deficiency.
Although all groups appear to be doing poorly, women and African-Americans appear to have the lowest potassium intake. The high risk of deficiency in Americans is directly related to our over-reliance on heavily processed foods as our main calorie sources. Whole foods meals like the recipes we feature here on the World's Healthiest Foods site should help to ensure low risk of potassium deficiency. Here is an example of a 10-minute recipe—Mediterranean-Style Salad—that contains nearly half of the daily recommended intake value for potassium.

Other Circumstances that Might Contribute to Deficiency

Even in people who get plenty of potassium, fluid loss can lead to problematic loss of potassium. For instance, people undergoing heavy physical training or who work outdoors on a hot day can run into this problem.
A more common reason to see low potassium levels is in people suffering from acute or chronic diarrhea. People with ongoing gastrointestinal illness may need to be careful to maintain normal potassium levels.
Use of certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can also increase risk of potassium deficiency.

Relationship with Other Nutrients

As mentioned above, the relationship between potassium and sodium is critical to the health benefits of diets high in potassium. The ratio of sodium to potassium in a modern, processed food diet is likely to be close to 5:1, with five times as much sodium as potassium. The U.S. would be a good example of an industrialized country with this type of high sodium:potassium ratio from processed foods. In non-industrialized countries where foraging and hunting determine the nature of the food supply, this ratio can be completely reversed, with five times as much potassium as sodium. Communities in some parts of Tanzania would be a good example of this type of hunter-gatherer culture.
Researchers do not know the exact best ratio of potassium to sodium in a meal plan. But they do know that the average U.S. diet is tilted way too far in the direction of sodium and not nearly enough toward potassium.
As a general rule of thumb, cheeses, breads, canned soups, and fast foods would be foods with much more sodium than potassium. Fruits, vegetables, and non-cheese dairy products should all contain more potassium than sodium.

Food	Potassium (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Sodium:Potassium Ratio
Banana	422	1	0.002
Summer squash	g296	3	0.01
Crimini mushrooms	389	5	0.01
Spinach	839	126	0.15
Yogurt	573	175	0.3
Sardines	360	458	1.3
Fast food cheeseburger	375	1137	3.0

As the above chart should make clear, fresh and whole foods tend to have more potassium than sodium, while prepared foods tend to feature the opposite ratio. Because the World's Healthiest Foods recipes tend to feature little to no added sodium, we are able to preserve this beneficial balance of sodium and potassium throughout our approach.
Some, but not all, research suggests that a diet rich in potassium may help to prevent loss of calcium in the urine. The idea here is that potassium salts found in fruits and vegetables tend to counter the effects of diets high in acid-forming proteins and that this in turn reduces the need to pull calcium from the bones to buffer the acid. To date, researchers have shown short-term benefits of dietary potassium on measures of calcium balance but have not been able to demonstrate improved bone health.

Risk of Dietary Toxicity

For healthy people with normal kidney function, there is not any known risk of toxicity from excessive dietary potassium under any circumstance. People with conditions affecting fluid balance—including kidney disease, some hormonal conditions, and heart failure—should work with their doctor before deliberately trying to increase their dietary potassium.
It's also worth noting here that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has chosen not to set a Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) for potassium.

Disease Checklist

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Kidney stones
• Fatigue
• PMS
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Endurance exercise

Public Health Recommendations

In 2004, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) set Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) levels for potassium. Specifically, these levels were Adequate Intake (AI) levels for different age and gender groups as follows:

• 0-6 months: 400 mg
• 7-12 months: 700 mg
• 1-3 years: 3,000 mg
• 4-8 years: 3,800 mg
• 9-13 years: 4,500 mg
• 19+ years: 4,700 mg
• Pregnant women: 4,700 mg
• Lactating women: 5,100 mg

The Daily Value (DV) for potassium is 3,500 milligrams. This DV is the standard that you will see on food labels. It is also the standard that we adopted as our WHFoods standard.
There is currently no Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for potassium.

References

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• Cogswell ME, Zhang Z, Carriquiry AL, et al. Sodium and potassium intakes among US adults: NHANES 2003-2008. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:647-57.
• Drewnowski A, Maillot M, Rehm C. Reducing the sodium-potassium ratio in the US diet: a challenge for public health. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 96:439-44.
• Kimura M, Itokawa Y. Cooking losses of minerals in foods and its nutritional significance. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 1990;36:S25-33.
• Lisiewska Z, Gebczynski P, Bernas E, et al. Retention of mineral constituents in frozen leafy vegetables prepared for consumption. J Food Chem Anal 2009;22:218-23.
• Macdonald HM, Black AJ, Aucott L, et al. Effect of potassium citrate supplementation or increased fruit and vegetable intake on bone metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:465-74.
• McDonough AA, Nguyen MTX. How does potassium supplementation lower blood pressure? Renal Physiol 2012;302:F1124-5.
• Salehi-Abarqouei A, Maghsoudi Z, Shirani F, et al. Effects of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH)-style diet on fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular diseases incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis on observational prospective studies. Nutrition 2013;29:611-8.
• Ta ML, VanEenwyk J, Bensley L. Limited percentages of adults in Washington State meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables. J Acad Nutr Diet 2012;112:699-704.
• Taylor EN, Fung TT, Curhan GC. DASH-style diet associates with reduced risk for kidney stones. J Am Soc Nephrol 2009;20:2253-9.
• Taylor EN, Stampfer MJ, Mount DB, et al. DASH-style diet and 24-hour urine composition. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2010;5:2315-22.