Fresh lemon water & natural salt + potassium

by Cathy
(Louisville, Ky)

I have a potassium deficiency (caused by a Neurological Nerve Disorder...).

I also am trying to lower my cholesterol by drinking lemon juice & salt in my water. Is this affecting my potassium - is it depleting my potassium?

Thanks so very much for your help on this matter!

Regards,

C.L. Palmer


Response:

Drinking lemon water and adding a small amount of UNREFINED natural salt with no additives should not deplete potassium or affect the water balance in the body.

However, every person's metabolism is different and there is no pat answer for this. It depends a lot on your health history, your current diet, supplementation, lifestyle, medications you take, etc.

But, as you may know, potassium is what holds water inside the cells for optimal hydration, so it is essential to get adequate potassium by eating a variety of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables.

As I mentioned in the article, some of the best sources of potassium include apricots, avocados, bananas, dates, figs, garlic, nuts, potatoes, raisins, spinach, winter squash, yams, and brown rice.

Please note the type of salt you add is critical. It must be truly natural, unrefined and without additives. You can find specific product recommendations on my site.

If the added salt is not the right type, it can have the opposite effect of truly natural salt.

One of the advantages of the types of unrefined salts that I recommend, specifically Celtic sea salt and Himalayan crystal salt, is that they contain 80 plus trace minerals in a natural form.

Thus, taking a small amount of this type of salt on a daily basis can help maintain overall mineral balance in the body. Any type of refined, so-called "natural salt" will not provide the same benefits.

Secondly, if you read a number of comments on my site about lemon water, you will see that it has been highly beneficial for many people, but not all.

Some people really don't do well with drinking lemon water, especially on a daily basis. There can be many reasons for this, including lemon allergies, problems with gut bacteria, under or over production of stomach acid, toxicity in the body (which is intensified by the lemon water, or whatever.

So there are so many factors to consider, especially one's current health condition and health history. And many times, it just comes down to personal experimentation. In other words, try it for a few months (if your doctor approves) and see if your condition improves.

In addition, I would assume that your neurologist has put you on a potassium supplement for your condition? If not, you might want to ask your doctor about that or consult with a Naturopathic Doctor for a comprehensive plan that may or may not include lemon water, unrefined natural salt, dietary changes, and stress management.