THORNE RESEARCH - Potassium Citrate (99mg) 90 Capsules [Misc.]

Potassium is a vitally important mineral in the cell. Approximately 98 percent of the body's stores of potassium are within the cell. It is the ratio of intracellular-to-extracellular potassium that determines muscle cell excitability. Thus, potassium plays an essential role in the functioning of not only skeletal muscle, but also the heart muscle. Potassium is essential for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contractility, and maintaining already normal blood pressure, energy production, and nucleic acid synthesis. Epidemiological evidence suggests that diets high in potassium provide numerous benefits to cardiovascular health. A potassium deficiency can occur when large amounts of potassium are lost via the digestive system or the urinary tract; for example, prolonged use of a non-potassium sparing diuretic can cause a loss of potassium via the urinary tract. Individuals with eating disorders are also at risk for being potassium-deficient. A chronic potassium deficiency can result in several adverse health conditions; at a minimum, a low potassium level can result in a prolonged feeling of weakness and fatigue. Potassium citrate helps prevent precipitates in the urine. In addition, potassium citrate is effective for alkalinizing the urine. Herbs such as goldenseal and uva ursi that support a healthy urinary tract - and are ingredients in Thorne's Uristatin - contain natural constituents that work most effectively in an alkaline urine.