Nature’s fruits for a healthy heart and body!

Our body works the way it does only when it has all the nutrients that it needs. And that too when all of them are finely balanced and that balance is a subtle thin line. A bit too little or a tad bit high, both can and will lead to health issues.

Now take the mineral component potassium. When it is less it can lead to elevated blood pressure, depleted levels of calcium and might develop kidney stones^[1]. All of these are determinal to heart health as well. On the other hand,  nearly 4 out of 10 people with heart failure develop a condition known as hyperkalaemia^[2] and that word translates to ‘more potassium!’

Potassium is one of the chemicals that keep your heart functioning; it is crucial for the maintenance of water balance in your body. Too much potassium can disturb the functioning of your body and affect your kidney function and muscles, thereby making you feel weak^[3].

What’s the reason for such a complicated condition?

There is a dynamic association between the heart and kidneys. Kidneys maintain the electrolyte balance in the body by increasing or decreasing the amount of water and salts excreted through the urine. The heart is affected by the volume of water in the blood that it needs to pump. The greater the volume of fluid it needs to pump, the greater the load on the heart. To manage a failing heart, doctors prescribe ‘water pills’. These pills increase the amount of water excreted in the form of urine; however, this can lead to excess potassium in the blood. Increased potassium rapidly affects the heart and leads to irregular heartbeats, paralysis, nausea and muscle fatigue^[2,3].

Most fruits and vegetables contain a healthy amount of potassium. Here are the right fruits to munch on to help strike the perfect balance of potassium in your body!

Here’s a list of fruits you could incorporate in your diet:

1. Watermelon: A cup of watermelon can add freshness to your evening snacks 
2. Pineapple: A tasty, tangy fruit that you could cherish either in the fruit form or as juice
3. Papaya: What better than a sweet, papaya with a for a salad or an appetizer 
4. Pear: The fruity fullness of 1 small pear has just the right amount of nutrients to keep your heart and kidneys healthy
5. Berries: Strawberries and cherries make for an excellent mid-morning snack
6. Apple: Take an apple a day for it can keep the doctor away!
7. Grapes: A bunch of grapes can be the perfect fruity dessert! Grapes contain low potassium and can be safely eaten if you have been diagnosed with kidney problems.
8. Plums: The goodness of 1 small plum is unmatched by any other!

Remember, moderation is the key! Eat ½ cup of any of these fruits, unless specified otherwise, to maintain your potassium levels. Even if you want to include variety in your diet, do it in limited amounts. Eating an excess of any of these fruits could make your potassium levels shoot up if you are already suffering from high potassium.

Fruits that you should avoid are:

1. Bananas
2. Dried fruits like apricots, prunes, figs and raisins
3. Avocados
4. Mangoes

Another way you could manage your potassium levels is by looking out for salt substitutes in the food. Salt substitutes are usually preservatives in packaged ready-to-eat food. They can increase your potassium levels. So it would be good practice to check the labels for the nutrient information. Cooked spinach, potatoes and tomatoes are also rich sources of potassium; try to avoid them as well. If you are fond of certain fruits and vegetables that have high levels of potassium, an effortless way that may help minimise the potassium level is to cut, peel and soak them in water to help leach out the potassium^[5].

“Variety is the spice of life!” Let the doctors figure out the correct balance of medications while you throw in a mix of fruits to maintain healthy potassium levels in the most natural way.

References:

1. Office of Dietary Supplements – Potassium [Internet]. Nih.gov. 2016 [cited 2020 Apr 28]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/
2. Thomsen RW, Nicolaisen SK, Hasvold P, Garcia‐Sanchez R, Pedersen L, Adelborg K, Egfjord M, Egstrup K, Sørensen HT. Elevated potassium levels in patients with congestive heart failure: Occurrence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 May 22;7(11):pii:e008912. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008912.
3. Mayo Clinic Staff. High potassium (hyperkalemia) [Internet]. 2018 Jan 11 [cited 2019 Jul 20]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/hyperkalemia/basics/when-to-see-doctor/sym-20050776.
4. Potassium and your CKD diet [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2019 Jul 20]. Available from: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.
5. Heart failure diet: Potassium [Internet]. [updated 2019 May 01; cited 2019 Jul 20]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17073-heart-failure-diet-potassium.

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