Potassium: what it does, by goal, and the dose that worked
What the 149 human studies of potassium we graded show for each goal, the dose that worked, and the products that hold it. This page is educational, not medical advice.
What it does, by goalMembersThe top 5 of 18 goals
10 of these 141 human studies gave potassium by drip, not by mouth.
| Goal | What the studies show | Studies | Dose that worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved in studies 43 studies, 14 showed an improvement, 12 found none, 4 pooled analyses | 43 | 2,502 mg | |
| Improved in studies 23 studies, 7 showed an improvement, 7 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 23 | 100 mcg | |
| Improved in studies 13 studies, 6 showed an improvement, 2 found none, 1 pooled analysis, 9 by drip, injection or inhaler | 13 | 4 mEq | |
| Improved in studies 10 studies, 3 showed an improvement, 2 found none, 1 pooled analysis, 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 10 | – | |
| Improved in studies 14 studies, 2 showed an improvement, 2 found none, 2 pooled analyses | 14 | – | |
| Improved in studies 7 studies, 2 showed an improvement, 1 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 7 | 6 g | |
| Improved in studies 6 studies, 2 showed an improvement, 2 found none | 6 | – | |
| Improved in studies 5 studies, 2 showed an improvement, 2 found none | 5 | 625 mg | |
| Improved in studies 3 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 1 found none | 3 | – | |
| Too few studies 4 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 1 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 4 | – | |
| Too few studies 2 studies, 1 found none | 2 | – | |
| Too few studies 2 studies, 1 found none | 2 | – | |
| Too few studies 2 studies, no clear result yet | 2 | – | |
| Too few studies 1 study, no clear result | 1 | – | |
| Too few studies 1 study, no clear result | 1 | – | |
| No effect in studies 16 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 2 found none, 2 pooled analyses | 16 | – | |
| No effect in studies 6 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 3 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 6 | – | |
| No effect in studies 2 studies, both found no effect | 2 | – |
Members see which goal each result is for, and the products for it. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Products – highest ranked firstMembersThe top 3 of 31
Members see the products, their ranking and the reasons. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Dose and safetyThe dose that worked and the upper limit
The studies taken by mouth that showed an improvement gave 100 mcg to 6 g a day.
Biohacker panelMembersWhat our 10 biohackers say about potassium
Members see what each biohacker said. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Questions people askMembersAnswered from the figures on this page
What is potassium good for?
Answer for members.
How much potassium a day?
Answer for members.
Can I take potassium with my meds?
Answer for members.
Members see the answers, checked against their own meds and goals. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Educational, not medical advice. Figures come from the human studies on PubMed we have graded; a study counts for a form when it names the form it used. Updated as new studies arrive. How we grade →