Most only have about 90mg when the RDA is 2000mg a day, minimum. Why the discrepency? If its because potassium is dangerous, then why can you buy potassium chloride ‘diet salt’ at the grocery store which has 300-600mg potassium per serving?
IANAD, but my guess would be that potassium is one of those vitamins that should be taken in low does throughout the day, as potassium is quite dangerous in higher doeses. I am certain that too much potassium can cause gastrointestinal distress and probably damage to the intestinal lining.
Potassium cloride is made with an extended release capsule that lets only a little digest at a time spreading it out over about 8 hours (dependent of course). Potassium cloride varies in strenths, but I know the the two most common are 20eq (780mg of potassium), and 10eq (360mg) are the most common. These are prescription only, however. Probably due to their dangers.
I think there is a piece on this by Cecil.
I am guessing that it is indeed to prevent overdosing. Fake table salt is lethal in certain amounts. The amount is quite high though, but not totally ridiculous.
Had trouble finding the archive link.
But, based on Cecil’s previous column, it is likely to prevent overdosing.
err, those should be 20 mEq, and 10mEq respectively.
Yep…from the archives:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a991217.html
“The amount of salt substitute needed to kill somebody, or at least put him in some serious hurt, is surprisingly small.”
That doesn’t seem like it explains everything though, tons of drugs and supplements are dangerous in high doses. Acetaminophin, iron, zinc, etc. And htey are still sold in high doses (relative to their RDA or LD50). Potassium supplements barely cover 4.5% of the minimum RDA.
Yes, but the point is that Potassium is dangerous in LOW doses. Yet you need more in one day that you can safely get in one setting.
It is reasonable to conclude low potassium doses exist because it can be dangerous…but the begging question is: Are there other things that can be as easily dangerous in small am’ts, and if so, why aren’t they parsed out in smaller bits?
Begging the question of why other things aren’t in smaller doses does not effectively make an arguement against the reasons that potassium is.
Remember that 10CC of KCl is often referred to, at least in the U.S., as “lethal injection.”
Here’s some info on hyperkalemia.