Potassium Chloride in salt substitutes?

3 Answers to "Potassium Chloride in salt substitutes?"

1. 

   Posted by ShewhoisEvolving Sep 7th, 2009 at 10:24AM

   Potassium is an essential element to proper muscle function including and especially the heart, but as with many things something that is critical to life in smaller quantities can also kill in larger ones (you can overdose on almost any substance including water and it will kill or damage you). Potassium is often an ingredient in lethal inhections-it is what stops the heart from beating, yet without it the heart cannot beat effectively. When a person gets dehydrated through heat, exercise or illness it is not only water that is lost but also electrolytes-chief among them being potassium.

   [ Reply ] | Like (1)

2. 

   Posted by freeed Sep 7th, 2009 at 6:32AM

   For one ting you cannot live without potassium - search the "sodium - potassium pump" mechanism all cells have. For another, too much of ANYTHING, including water, will kill you. For the third I don't know how much it would take to kill you by ingesting it, but I'll bet it's more than you could choke down [how much sodium chloride can you eat?]. For the fourth thing low sodium diets recommend potassium substitutes so how bad can it be?

   [ Reply ] | Like (1)

3. 

   Posted by thisisnolongerfun Sep 6th, 2009 at 11:44PM

   I think one would have to ingest pretty huge amounts of it to be dangerous. I am not really basing this on any real facts.

   [ Reply ] | Like (1)