February is heart month. With that, we are interested in heart health. Most heart health conversations typically center on familiar themes: saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar. But there is a nutrient that cardiologists quietly monitor because it plays a direct role in how the heart actually beats.
That nutrient is potassium.
Research
Researchers followed patients at high risk for dangerous heart rhythm problems and found that raising potassium levels within a healthy range was linked to fewer serious cardiac events, including abnormal rhythms and hospitalizations. One important note is that additional potassium intake was not pushed to extreme levels. This was a carefully monitored approach that ensured safe potassium intake.
How Much Do You Need?
Potassium is a nutrient your heart relies on every day. Â According to the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines, adults aged 19 and older are generally advised to consume approximately 3,400 mg of potassium daily for men and 2,600 mg daily for women to support overall health and normal bodily functions.
How Can I Get It?
Potassium is found in many whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy, and starchy plants. One familiar and easy food to eat is the banana.
One medium banana provides approximately 10% of the daily potassium requirement for most adults. Consistency supports steady nutrient intake over time, and bananas make potassium feel routine rather than medicinal. After all, would you not prefer eating food to a pill?
A banana at breakfast, sliced into oatmeal, blended into a smoothie, or paired with yogurt, becomes a small daily habit that adds up. Then you can add it to banana bread. A little bit of banana adds up over time.
