Achieving the Benefits of a High-Potassium, Paleolithic Diet, Without the Toxicity

The average US dietary intake of K⁺ is well below the current recommended nutritional requirements. This deficiency is even more striking when comparing our current intake with that of our ancestors, who consumed large amounts of dietary K⁺. K⁺ deficiency has been implicated in many diseases including cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, and osteoporosis. Importantly, dietary supplementation of K⁺ has favorable effects on reducing blood pressure, decreasing the risk of stroke, improving bone health, and reducing the risk of nephrolithiasis. For this comprehensive review, we scanned the literature using PubMed and MEDLINE using the following search terms: potassium intake, renal potassium excretion, and prevention of hyperkalemia. Articles were selected for inclusion if they represented primary data or review articles published between 1980 and 2015 in high-impact journals. The normal kidney has the capacity to tightly regulate K⁺ homoeostasis. We discuss new findings with respect to sensing mechanisms by which the kidney maintains K⁺ homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract and distal tubule. There are widely prescribed hypertensive medications that cause hyperkalemia and thus require dietary K⁺ restriction. We conclude by discussing newly approved drugs capable of binding K⁺ in the gastrointestinal tract and speculate that this new pharmacology might allow diet liberalization in patients at risk for hyperkalemia, affording them the numerous benefits of a K⁺-rich diet.