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Purebulk Potassium Products: Potassium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate (China), Potassium Citrate (Germany), Potassium Gluconate, Potassium Iodate, Potassium Iodide, Potassium L-Aspartate 25%.

What is Potassium Bicarbonate?

Potassium bicarbonate (also known as potassium hydrogen carbonate, carbonic acid, monopotassium salt, or potassium acid carbonate) is a compound used to replenish potassium in people with low blood levels of potassium and to prevent potassium depletion. It is also used as a buffering agent to help regulate pH in foods.

Potassium is an essential mineral needed to manage and control water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure and neuromuscular function. This mineral is also responsible in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart. Potassium is also necessary for carbohydrate and protein metabolism (Wikipedia).

As a mineral that functions as an electrolyte in the body, transporting nutrients into cells and carrying waste away from them, it’s critical to have adequate amounts of potassium in the body.

Because electrolytes are electrically charged (they dissolve in water to form positively charged ions), they can easily bypass cell membranes and are thus able to transmit electrical messages from the nervous system to the heart and other muscles to ensure regular muscle rhythm and contraction. Having more potassium inside the cells while keeping more sodium outside the cells enables the body to perform chemical reactions needed to convert carbohydrates to energy. A normal cell membrane potential is critical for nerve-impulse transmission, muscle contraction and heart function.

Most fruits are excellent sources of potassium, as are beans, milk and vegetables. The potassium available in fruit is both safe and healthful for most people. The best way to obtain enough potassium is to consume several types of fruit each day along with liberal amounts of vegetables. The amount of potassium found in the diet ranges from about 2.5 grams to about 5.8 grams per day. The amount common in supplements, about 99 milligrams per tablet or capsule, is very low since a single banana can contain approximately 500 milligrams.

Health Benefits of Potassium Bicarbonate

Potassium is of paramount importance in the human body and oral potassium bicarbonate is one of the more common means to replenish it. Abnormally low levels of potassium in the cells can cause hypokalemia (Wikipedia).

Hypokalemia can be the result of prolonged vomiting, use of some diuretics, kidney disease, anorexia, bulimia or any other condition that might cause the exit of potassium from the body faster than it can be replenished. Fatigue, muscle weakness and cramps and intestinal paralysis are among some of the symptoms, which may lead to bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. Severe cases of hypokalemia can lead to muscular paralysis or even fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

Other manifested symptoms of potassium deficiency include poor appetite, abnormally dry skin, acne, depression, diarrhea, diminished reflex function, edema, nervousness, insatiable thirst, glucose intolerance, growth impairment, high cholesterol levels, insomnia, nausea, proteinuria (protein in the urine), respiratory distress and salt retention.

The intake of prescription medicines like aldactone, colchicines, digitalis, ACE-inhibitors, steroids, furosemide and other diuretics, penicillin and the abuse of alcohol or laxatives impairs the body’s ability to absorb potassium.

Those undergoing treatment with any of these medications or those who have an eating disorder or are alcohol-dependent should consult a physician regarding getting more potassium and the possibility of incorporating potassium supplements in the diet.

Purity and Concentration of Potassium Bicarbonate

This pharmaceutical grade potassium bicarbonate contains no fillers, taste additives or anti-caking agents.

Suggested Use of Potassium Bicarbonate

WARNING: Too much potassium is toxic, even fatal. Do not exceed the suggested amount. As a dietary supplement, take 250 milligrams daily, or as directed by a physician. Due to potential toxicity, use of a digital milligram scale is necessary. Do not attempt to use measuring spoons; they are not accurate enough.

Since many foods are naturally high in potassium, the maximum recommended over-the-counter (OTC) use for elemental potassium is regulated by the FDA to be no more than 100 milligrams (2.53 mEq) per day.

Potassium bicarbonate powder is 39% elemental potassium. Do not take more than 250 milligrams potassium bicarbonate (99 milligrams elemental potassium) in a single serving and do not take more than this amount in any six-hour interval.

Potassium carbonate comes in pills, powders and gels from different suppliers. Use can be a little confusing because products are marked with the amount of elemental potassium or the amount of potassium bicarbonate or the milliequivalents (mEq) or all three. What counts is the elemental potassium and mEq. To avoid any confusion and for easier comparison, all serving amounts can be reduced to elemental potassium or mEq (milliequivalents)

To convert milligrams of elemental potassium to mEq, take the milligram value and divide it by 39.0983 (atomic weight of potassium). For example, 90 mg is equivalent to 2.30 mEq, 99 mg is equivalent to 2.53 mEq.

Conversely, if you know the mEq, multiply by 39.0983 to find the elemental potassium. For example, 2 mEq is equal to 78.0 mg, and so on.

Again, accurate measurement of potassium bicarbonate is essential to avoid side effects and toxicity problems, so be very careful and cautious when measuring a serving of any potassium product.

Potential Side Effects of Potassium Bicarbonate

WARNING: Too much potassium is toxic, even fatal. While potassium depletion or deficiency is a health risk, high to excessive amounts of potassium are also linked with toxicity. Potassium-containing products should be used only under medical supervision.

High potassium intake (several hundred milligrams at one time) can produce stomach irritation, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and burping. An excessive amount of potassium can result in a heart attack.

Normally the kidneys remove any excess potassium from the body, so high potassium levels are not an issue for healthy individuals. If the kidneys fail to remove potassium, a condition called hyperkalemia (Wikipedia) may result. Hyperkalemia can result in cardiac dysfunction; therefore it is important that individuals with low kidney function, diabetes or heart disease be monitored closely while taking potassium bicarbonate.

Do NOT use potassium bicarbonate if you are allergic, if you have elevated blood potassium, elevated blood acid, severe kidney problems, dehydration, heat cramps, an extensive tissue injury (e.g., severe burns) or untreated adrenal gland failure (Addison disease). Additionally, do NOT use potassium bicarbonate if you have a blockage of the esophagus, stomach or intestines, or if you are taking an aldosterone blocker (e.g., eplerenone) or a potassium-sparing diuretic (e.g., spironolactone, triamterene). Diabetics and persons with kidney failure should consult a qualified medical practitioner prior to use.

If you are currently supplementing with potassium or are considering supplementing with potassium, pay careful attention to how much fruit you are eating daily as certain fruits contain high amounts of potassium.

Keep potassium products out of reach of children and pets.

Bioavailability, Mixing and Solubility of Potassium Bicarbonate

Potassium bicarbonate should be taken with meals and with a glass of water or other liquid (between 8 and 16 ounces). This product should not be taken on an empty stomach because of its potential for gastric irritation. Because potassium bicarbonate is a potential irritant to the stomach if ingested in amounts greater than recommended, caution should be exercised to keep potassium bicarbonate use small and frequent rather than large and irregular.

How should I store it?

You will receive this powder in a resealable bag. Store it in a cool, dry, dark location. Reseal tightly between uses.

References & Further Research

University of Maryland Medical Center: Potassium

Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center

NOTE: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The information at Purebulk.com is NOT a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not use any dietary supplement as a replacement for conventional care, or as a reason to postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem. Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates herbal and other dietary supplements differently than conventional medicines. The standards for supplements are found in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), a federal law that defines dietary supplements and sets product-label­ing standards and health claim limits. To learn more about DSHEA, visit the FDA Web site.