Part 5 (last part)
POTASSIUM
Potassium gets almost no press, yet it's remarkably effective at lowering blood pressure—and even a 1 to 2 percent reduction translates into a reduced risk of strokes. Potassium also helps prevent kidney stones and heart arrhythmias. It even appears to benefit bones by neutralizing acids in the bloodstream that leach calcium from bone deposits. "Unless you have kidney disease, potassium is one of those things, like love and money, that you just can't get too much of," says University of Mississippi physiologist David B. Young.
The current guidelines call for 4,700 milligrams a day, but most Americans don't even get close. It's not that hard. A single cup of sweet potato has 950 milligrams. Four figs boast 540; a cup of cantaloupe, 500, and a glass of OJ, 450. "If you can consume 8,000 milligrams a day in your diet—the level we evolved to eat—chances are you'll get everything else you need, too," says Dr. Steven Pratt of San Diego's Scripps Memorial Hospital. That would include fiber and thousands of beneficial plant chemicals, such as the cancer-fighting compounds in broccoli.
In the end, there are few shortcuts to optimal health. Much as we would like to rely on pills, fitness requires regular exercise and a healthy diet—one that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with smaller amounts of fish, nuts and dairy. "The amazing thing is, the same dietary pattern helps everything from cancer to heart disease and diabetes," says Lichtenstein. There's no conundrum there. Bring on the vegetables. |
