In the US, potassium supplements are restricted to no more that 99 mg, or roughly 2% of the recommended daily value. Is there a point to such a low dosage? Is it okay to take more than 99 mg in supplement form?
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Potassium chloride supplements over 99mg can lead to small bowel lesions. And any supplement over 99mg is requires to carry a warning and companies dont want to put that on their product
Edit. It is just some potassium salts that require the warning and while there is no official ruling that supplements must carry it, if companies did so it might cause the fda to require it which they dont want.
Blood potassium levels outside the normal range can lead to fatal arrhythmias. It’s too easy to overdose.
A big reason is that people tend to take supplements on an empty stomach. *That* is what can lead to severe abdominal pain and small bowel lesions. Getting potassium from food obviously means you don’t have an empty stomach. It’s also important to note that there are different forms of potassium. The form associated with digestive problems is *potassium chloride,* which also happens to be a form commonly found in supplements.
In all honesty, however, I think there’s an even bigger reason: the widespread use of blood thinners and blood pressure medications. Large amounts of potassium (even from food) can interfere with the effectiveness of blood thinners (like Warfarin), which can quickly lead to blood clots that cause stroke, heart attack, and potentially death. Blood pressure meds aren’t a big problem anymore, but certain diuretics (like spironolactone) that used to be prescribed more often increase potassium levels, so potassium supplements can effectively cause an overdose of potassium.
A few years ago I called a vitamin company to ask about that. I was told ‘that’s all we can get in the pill,’ that the physical material required was very large. That, and they don’t try harder because it’s not meant to be a source but a supplement.’
I get horrible screaming foot cramps and if I religiously eat a banana a day it stays under control. So, in case I can’t get bananas I need other source. I keep avocados too but they’re not reliable either.
Because it is dangerous when getting too much…. and since people are stupid, the rist of overdose is reduced if there is a low dosage in a single tablet… you need to actively take a box to hurt yourself….
This is how they shed responsibilities for overdoses…
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Also the same reason why there is a warning in microwaves, that you must not dry your animals in said microwaves
Potassium RDA is 5g a day. That’s some 10 large tablets if taken on its own. If taken in such quantity it could cause problems in the stomach, where it reacts with acids.
You can buy salt which had some of its Sodium Chloride replaced with Potassium Chloride. Something like [this](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/260298744). Potassium Chloride tastes different than normal salt, but if mixed in lower proportions it can be used just like normal table salt. That’s what I do, at least.
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