I noticed that all the potassium supplements in the vitamin section are ridiculously low. They all have like 3% RDA. That does not seem even worth taking. Why don’t the contain more.
Unlike a lot of vitamins and minerals, overdosing on potassium can have serious side effects. It’s hard to OD on diet alone, but you could with higher dosage supplements.
It is virtually impossible to overdose on oral potassium since it is taken up by cells as fast as it can be absorbed from the GI tract. This is different from IV administration; IV potassium chloride is the last drug given during lethal injection, as rapid administration causes cardiac arrest.
A quick search reveals that any potassium supplement over 350 mg (10% RDA) is by prescription only in the US (eg here). This seems to be due to the risk of bowel ulceration from high concentrations of potassium in the intestines.
I never understood that restriction. I need a script for a 10% dose, but I can take four 3% doses over the counter.
Prescrip Ibuprofen is 800mg. But, sans prescrip, you can take four OTC equaling 800mg!
The difference is liability. YOU assume liability for using meds as they are not recommended.
If a prescrip, that tells you and the rest of the litigious world that the dose is ok.