Top 10 Foods Highest in Potassium

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Potassium

Potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. It plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart, muscles, and nervous system. (1)

A deficiency in potassium causes fatigue, irritability, and hypertension (high blood pressure). (1)

Signs of high potassium blood levels include weakness, paralysis, and heart palpitations. (2) For healthy people, getting too much potassium through foods is rare, although it's possible to take too much through supplements. People with certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease, are more likely to experience high potassium levels. (3)

High potassium foods include leafy green vegetables, fish, white beans, avocados, potatoes, acorn squash, milk, mushrooms, bananas, and cooked tomatoes. The current daily value (DV) for potassium is 4700 milligrams (mg). (4)

Below is a list of high potassium foods ranked by common serving sizes, for more see the lists of high potassium foods by nutrient density, more potassium rich foods, fruits high in potassium, and vegetables high in potassium.

You can also sort high potassium foods by 100 gram and 200 calorie serving sizes using the nutrient ranking tool.

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High Potassium Foods by Nutrient Density (Potassium per 100 Grams)

FoodServingPotassium
1. Dried Herbs (Chervil) 100 grams 101% DV
(4740mg)
2. Sun-Dried Tomatoes 100 grams 73% DV
(3427mg)
3. Cocoa Powder 100 grams 53% DV
(2509mg)
4. Whey Powder 100 grams 49% DV
(2289mg)
5. Paprika 100 grams 49% DV
(2280mg)
6. Yeast Extract Spread 100 grams 45% DV
(2100mg)
7. Bran 100 grams 32% DV
(1485mg)
8. Molasses 100 grams 31% DV
(1464mg)
9. Soybeans (Dry-Roasted) 100 grams 29% DV
(1364mg)
10. Seaweed (Spirulina) 100 grams 29% DV
(1363mg)

Other Potassium Rich Foods

FoodServingPotassium
1. Dried Figs 1 cup 22% DV
(1013mg)
2. Coconut Water per cup 13% DV
(600mg)
3. Whelk 3oz serving 13% DV
(590mg)
4. Clams per 3oz serving 11% DV
(534mg)
5. Orange Juice 1 cup 11% DV
(496mg)
6. Brussels Sprouts 1 cup 7% DV
(342mg)
7. Pistachios (Dry Roasted) per 1 oz handful 6% DV
(286mg)
8. Palm Hearts 1 cup 5% DV
(258mg)
9. Sunflower Seeds per 1oz Handful 5% DV
(241mg)
10. Seeds (Squash and Pumpkin Seeds) per 1oz handful 5% DV
(224mg)
11. Almonds per 1oz Handful 4% DV
(208mg)
12. Dried Watermelon Seeds per 1oz handful 4% DV
(184mg)
13. Chestnuts per oz (~3 chestnuts) 4% DV
(168mg)
14. Dates per date 4% DV
(167mg)
15. Cashews (Dry Roasted) per 1 oz handful 3% DV
(160mg)
16. Walnuts per oz 3% DV
(125mg)

How much potassium do you need each day?

The daily value (%DV) for Potassium is 4700mg which is a general target intended for most people. Adequate intakes (%AI) take age and gender into account and range from 2000mg - 3400mg for most people.

Life StageAI
Infants
0-6 months old400mg
7-12 months old860mg
Children
1-3 years old2000mg
4-8 years old2300mg
Males
9-13 years old2500mg
14-18 years old3000mg
19+ years old3400mg
Females
9-13 years old2300mg
14-18 years old2300mg
19+ years old2600mg
Pregnancy
14-18 years old2600mg
19+ years old2900mg
Lactation
14-18 years old2500mg
19-30 years old2800mg
Source: National Library of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes for Potassium

Who is at Risk for Potassium Deficiency?

  • Alcoholics - People who consume a lot of alcohol have lower serum levels of potassium. (5)
  • People with a magnesium deficiency - Low magnesium levels increase potassium excretion and further increase the risk of muscle cramps and cardiac arrhythmias. (6)

Health Benefits of Potassium

  • Alleviation of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Reduced Risk of Stroke - A diet low in potassium and high in sodium can result in high blood pressure over time. High blood pressure causes damage to the arteries and veins, which can lead to strokes and heart disease. Eating foods high in potassium while limiting foods high in sodium reduces blood pressure over time. (7)
  • Reduced Risk of Kidney Stones - Adequate levels of potassium are correlated with reduced risk of kidney stones. (8) In one study, participants who consumed potassium citrate supplements experienced a reduction in kidney stone risk. (9)
  • Reduced Risk of Type II Diabetes - Potassium is necessary for insulin secretion, and numerous studies have found a correlation between low potassium levels and higher levels of fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance. (10,11)

Potassium and Chronic Kidney Disease

The kidneys regulate potassium levels in the blood. In people with chronic kidney disease, the kidneys are unable to get rid of extra potassium. This may cause potassium to build up in the body, which can interfere with heart function. (12) To prevent this, people with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease are often advised to focus on eating foods that are lower in potassium, while minimizing foods that are high in potassium. (13)

Foods low in potassium include most refined fats and oils, grains like cornmeal, white rice, and white pasta, some cheeses like soft goat cheese, blueberries, leeks, and napa cabbage. Boiling vegetables in water and discarding the water they are cooked in can help reduce their potassium and electrolyte content. For more, see the article on low potassium foods, and low potassium vegetables.

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. Grimm PR, Coleman R, Delpire E, Welling PA. Potassium modulates electrolyte balance and blood pressure through effects on distal cell voltage and chloride J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017 Sep;28(9):2597-2606. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2016090948. Epub 2017 Apr 25. 28442491
  2. Simon LV, Hashmi MF, Farrell MW, Chapagain R. Hyperkalemia 2023 Sep 4. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. 33760500
  3. Palmer BF, Clegg DJ. Hyperkalemia in chronic kidney disease Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2017 Sep;24(5):319-324. doi: 10.1053/j.ackd.2017.06.001. 29031359
  4. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
  5. Elisaf M, Milionis H, Siamopoulos KC. Hypokalaemia in alcoholic patients Miner Electrolyte Metab. 1997;23(2):105-12. 9252977
  6. Iezhitsa IN, Spasov AA. The relationship between disorders of K+ and Mg+ homeostasis Usp Fiziol Nauk. 2008 Jan-Mar;39(1):23-41. 18314767
  7. Gijsbers L, Dower JI, Mensink M, Siebelink E, Bakker SJ, Geleijnse JM. The importance of potassium in managing hypertension J Hum Hypertens. 2015 Oct;29(10):592-8. doi: 10.1038/jhh.2015.3. Epub 2015 Feb 12. 25673113
  8. Kumar R. Higher urinary potassium is associated with decreased stone growth after shock wave lithotripsy J Urol. 2001 Jul;166(1):219. 11435869
  9. Pak CY, Sakhaee K, Fuller CJ. Randomized double-blind study of potassium citrate in idiopathic hypocitraturic calcium nephrolithiasis Trans Assoc Am Physicians. 1983;96:294-305. 6679957
  10. Kim YA, Kim KM, Lim S, Choi SH, Moon JH, Kim JH, Kim SW, Jang HC, Shin CS. Dietary potassium intake is beneficial to bone health in a low calcium intake population: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2008-2011) Osteoporos Int. 2015 Sep;26(9):2329-37. doi: 10.1007/s00198-015-3138-6. Epub 2015 Apr 24. 25906241
  11. Chatterjee R, Yeh HC, Shafi T, Selvin E, Anderson C, Pankow JS, Miller E, Brancati F. Potassium and risk of Type 2 diabetes Arch Intern Med. 2010 Oct 25;170(19):1745-51. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.362. 20975023
  12. Heianza Y, Arase Y, Tsuji H, Saito K, Amakawa K, Hsieh SD, Kodama S, Shimano H, Yamada N, Hara S, Sone H. Low serum potassium levels and risk of type 2 diabetes: the Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center Study 1 (TOPICS 1) Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Sep;87(9):853-61. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.04.016. 22958989
  13. Palmer BF, Clegg DJ. Hyperkalemia in chronic kidney disease Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2017 Sep;24(5):319-324. doi: 10.1053/j.ackd.2017.06.001. 29031359
  14. Picard K, Barreto Silva MI, Mager D, Richard C. Dietary Potassium Intake and Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease Progression in Predialysis Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review Adv Nutr. 2023 Nov;14(6):1657. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.09.014. Epub 2023 Oct 4. 37804862
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