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Curious About Potassium And High Fiber Diets

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Jun 17, 2009 4:21 pm US/Eastern

Curious About Potassium And High Fiber Diets

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Reporting
Mallika Marshall, MD

BOSTON (WBZ) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: There are many foods that are rich in potassium including nuts, bananas, citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, potatoes and milk.
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WBZ's Dr. Mallika Marshall answers Linda's Curiosity about high fiber diets:

"I put myself on a high fiber diet with items like cereal, pears and enhanced yogurt. My potassium level increased quite a bit and the doctor told me to stop. What gives?"

THE ANSWER

There are many foods that are rich in potassium including nuts, bananas, citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, potatoes and milk.

But even if the average healthy person eats a diet high in potassium, the levels of potassium in the blood don't change that much. That's because the kidneys filter out excess potassium.
If, however, someone has underlying kidney disease or is taking medications that cause the kidneys to hold onto more potassium than usual, potassium levels in the blood can rise.

People who have high levels of potassium in their blood should check with their doctors to find out what is causing the levels to rise because there could be an underlying health issue.