Potassium
Potassium is the main positively charged ion inside cells and is essential for normal fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction, including the heartbeat. Adequate potassium helps blunt the blood-pressure-raising effect of sodium and is associated with reduced risk of stroke and kidney stones. Its intake levels are set as Adequate Intakes because the data are not sufficient to set an RDA.
Why it matters
What it does in your body
- Fluid and electrolyte balance
- Nerve signal transmission
- Muscle contraction including the heart
- Blood pressure regulation
- Blunting sodium's effect on blood pressure
By age, sex, and life stage
How much you need
All potassium values are Adequate Intakes (AI), not RDAs, because evidence was insufficient to set an RDA. The 2019 NASEM revision set the adult AI at 3400 mg for men and 2600 mg for women, and there is no Tolerable Upper Intake Level.
Recommended intake across life
in mg/dayBars scale to the highest recommendation shown. Where men and women differ, both values are listed.
Full reference table
| Life stage | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0-6 mo | 400 (AI) | 400 (AI) |
| Infants 7-12 mo | 860 (AI) | 860 (AI) |
| Children 1-3 | 2000 (AI) | 2000 (AI) |
| Children 4-8 | 2300 (AI) | 2300 (AI) |
| Children 9-13 | 2500 (AI) | 2300 (AI) |
| Teens 14-18 | 3000 (AI) | 2300 (AI) |
| Adults 19+ | 3400 (AI) | 2600 (AI) |
| Pregnancy | n/a | 2600 to 2900 (AI) |
| Lactation | n/a | 2500 to 2800 (AI) |
Values in mg/day. AI marks an Adequate Intake, used when there is not enough evidence for a formal recommendation.
What moves the number
What changes your needs
Age
The AI climbs through childhood and reaches adult levels by the teen years; unlike some minerals it does not change further with older age.
Sex
From age 9 onward males have higher AIs than females (3400 versus 2600 mg in adults), reflecting larger body size.
Body weight / size
Because potassium is distributed across lean body mass, larger bodies hold more, which underlies the higher male values.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy raises the AI modestly, and lactation similarly, to cover transfer to the fetus and breast milk.
Running low
Signs you might not get enough
Most at risk: People with inflammatory bowel disease, those taking diuretics or laxatives, and individuals who eat few fruits and vegetables are at greater risk of low potassium.
Too much
Can you get too much?
Excess from food does not harm healthy people, but high blood potassium from supplements or salt substitutes can be life-threatening in people with impaired kidney function or on certain blood pressure medications.
Where to get it
Best food sources
The bottom line
Most people fall short of the 2600 to 3400 mg adult target, so build meals around fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy. Potassium from food is safe and helps control blood pressure, but never take potassium supplements or salt substitutes without medical advice if you have kidney disease.
Track potassium automatically
Potassium is one of the 92 nutrients Vora reads from a photo of your meal, so you can see where you stand without weighing or logging by hand.
Sources and method
The recommended intakes, upper limits, and food-source amounts on this page come from the primary references below. Numbers were checked against the current NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academies) Dietary Reference Intakes.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Potassium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2019), Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium
This page is for general education, not medical advice. Reference intakes are population averages for healthy people and do not replace guidance from your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you are pregnant, managing a health condition, or considering supplements.