Potassium salt – composition, occurrence, sources, application

Proven content

Potassium is one of the essential minerals your body needs to function properly. Plays a key role in regulating the heartbeat. It is present in many foods, but deficiency in the body can lead to hypokalemia or potassium deficiency. Potassium chloride is a form of salt that can be used as a medicine to treat low blood potassium levels. Read what is potassium salt and how can it be used?

Potassium salt – what is it?

Potassium salt is actually potassium chloride. It is a naturally occurring salt that comes from the land or the sea. It is a potassium-based salt that food manufacturers most often use to replace sodium chloride or table salt. In some applications, it can help reduce sodium by up to 70%. It does not carry high health risks like sodium-based salts.

You can use potassium salt like regular table salt. Many food companies use potassium chloride as a substitute to lower sodium levels in processed foods. As consumers continue to demand lower sodium products, manufacturers have found potassium chloride to be a safe alternative. It is now the leading formulation option to lower sodium levels in foods. Unfortunately, it can leave a metallic aftertaste.

The editorial board recommends: Prepared meals contain excessive amounts of salt

Potassium salt – sources

The potassium salt occurs naturally in nature as a white or colorless solid that may appear similar to a powder. It is an ionic compound that is usually extracted from various minerals such as potash or sylitol by methods such as crystallization from solutions or electrostatic separation. Some of the most extensive sourcing sites for potassium salt include areas near Carlsbad in New Mexico and ore in Canada.

It can also be extracted from seawater or from deposits in old, dry lakes. Extraction of potassium salt is relatively cheap, therefore its production in the laboratory is not very common. However, when synthesized in the laboratory, it is a simple reaction of mixing a potassium base with hydrochloric acid to yield potassium chloride.

See: Excess salt in children delays puberty

Is There A Recommended Level Of Potassium Salt Intake?

Potassium salt (potassium chloride) is absorbed by the body in the form of component ions: potassium and chloride. Intake of dietary potassium with an adequate intake (AI) of 4,7 g / day (for all adults) should keep blood pressure lower, reduce the adverse effects of sodium chloride intake on blood pressure, reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones, and possibly reduce bone loss.

In a generally healthy population with normal kidney function, excess dietary potassium (e.g. above the AI) is not a problem. because it is easily excreted in the urine. However, people with specific medical conditions associated with impaired urinary potassium excretion (e.g. diabetes, renal failure, severe heart failure, etc.) or undergoing specific therapeutic regimens (e.g. certain medications, dietary restrictions, etc.) should consult their doctors before consuming any foods containing potassium chloride.

Potassium salt – application

The use of potassium salt is really wide. Potassium salt is used as:

1. ingredient of agricultural fertilizer. It is used to produce potash, which is an important source of potassium for plants.
2. it is used in the treatment of low blood pressure,
3. salt substitute,
4. it is used as a raw material for the production of metallic potassium,
5. it is used in the soap industry as a water softener – an alternative to sodium chloride.