Potassium is the most abundant intracellular electrolyte in the human body, which means that inside each of our cells there is a very high concentration of potassium. Maintaining high levels of potassium is critical to cellular function, so our body will go to great lengths to ensure that no matter how little we get in our diet we have enough to fuel our cells.

Potassium deficiency is rampant – a study of over 12,000 Americans showed that only 1.4% got the recommended daily amount of 4,700 mg daily. The average was only 2,300 mg daily, which is less than half of the MINIMUM our bodies need. Therefore it is unlikely that you are already getting enough potassium in your diet without supplementation

Your kidneys produce a hormone called renin, which is activated when the body is in a state of potassium deficiency.

Once produced, renin acts on a protein called Angiotensinogin (angio – blood vessels; tensin – to constrict), creating a new protein called Angiotensin I. Angiotensin I does not have any action in the body until it is activated by another enzyme called Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE). ACE converts Angiotensin I into the active version, Angiotensin II.

Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict, raising blood pressure.

Angiotensin II also causes the adrenal glands to secrete aldosterone, which causes the kidneys to retain sodium and excrete potassium, again driving up the blood pressure.

This system was designed as a critical, acute life saving measure for when the body is under extreme stresses like dehydration, salt depletion, persistent diarrhea, and hemorrhage. But the system can also be triggered by potassium depletion, leading to inappropriate activation of the RAAS and resulting in tissue damage.

RAAS activation has been implicated in hypertension, but also chronic kidney disease, heart attack, heart failure. At least 7 classes of medications, and most classes of anti-hypertensive medications, are designed to target different aspects of the RAAS.

• Beta-blockers prevent renin release
• Renin inhibitors block the action of renin
• ACE inhibitors block conversion of ATI to ATII
• ARBs block ATII from binding to receptors
• Spironolactone blocks the aldosterone from binding receptors

Thiazide diuretics and loop diuretics inhibit the sodium retaining effect of aldosterone on kidneys

However, it has been shown that a low potassium intake upregulates the RAAS, directly leading to high blood pressure and organ failure. Consuming a high potassium diet/intake downregulates the RAAS, essentially fixing the root cause of the problem. If you don’t fix the problem, the system remains activated, and your blood pressure continues to rise over time leading to more and more medications.

Poulsen SB, Fenton RA. K+ and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system: new insights into their role in blood pressure control and hypertension treatment. J Physiol. 2019 Sep;597(17):4451-4464. doi: 10.1113/JP276844. Epub 2019 Jul 29. PMID: 31294465.

In a meta-analysis of published studies on potassium for blood pressure lowering including 23 trials on a total of 1,213 patients, researchers found that the range of blood pressure lowering was up to 14 points with no major side effects.

“Our findings indicated that potassium supplementation is a safe medication with no important adverse effects that has a modest but significant impact on blood pressure and may be recommended as an adjuvant antihypertensive agent for patients with essential hypertension”

Poorolajal J, Zeraati F, Soltanian AR, Sheikh V, Hooshmand E, Maleki A (2017) Oral potassium supplementation for management of essential hypertension: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS ONE 12(4): e0174967. Yang et al. Sodium and Potassium intake and mortality among US adults. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(13):1183-1191

You should always speak with your doctor about your individual health conditions. Studies show that the human kidney can effectively filter up to 8,000 mg per day of potassium. The National Kidney Foundation recommends daily intake of 4,700 mg of potassium daily for patients with Stage I or Stage 2 chronic kidney disease.

Rowe JW, Andres R, Tobin JD, Norris AH, Shock NW. The effect of age on creatinine clearance in men: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. J Gerontol. 1976;31:155–63.

If you do not have severe kidney disease it is unlikely that potassium supplementation will increase your blood potassium levels.

In one clinical trial, patients were given a total dose of 3,700 mg of potassium supplement daily, or about 1,230 mg three times a day. The blood potassium level increased from 4.2 to 4.6 but stayed well within the normal range (3.5-5.1 mmol/L).

Studies suggest that potassium will only correct your blood pressure back to the normal range, but won’t make your blood pressure drop too low. In one trial, 38 adults and children with normal blood pressure were given potassium supplements of up to 3,000 mg potassium daily for adults and children up to 1,700 mg daily for one month. There was no change in their blood pressure with supplementation.

Hypertension 1987; 10:437-442

The most common side effects of potassium supplements are stomach upset such as nausea or diarrhea. The best way to reduce the risk of these side effects is to take it with food or at least 8 oz of liquid. PMAX has been formulated to reduce the risk of these side effects, which have been associated with high doses of individual potassium salts.

You should talk to your doctor before supplementing potassium, especially if you have severe kidney disease or kidney failure. Your kidneys need to be working properly to filter potassium and manage your blood potassium levels. You should also speak with your doctor if you are pregnant or taking certain
medications. Many blood pressure medications or certain diuretics (water pills) can affect the way your kidneys filter potassium.

Many of the side effects of potassium supplementation have been caused by high doses of certain types of potassium, or by special delivery systems such as extended-release formulations that can cause gastrointestinal problems.

PMAX avoids these issues by delivering a balanced ratio of potassium from different sources, incorporating the types of potassium that are most easily absorbed by the body as well as those that have been studied to have specific health applications supporting the kidneys, bones and cardiovascular system.

The result is a formulation that delivers all the benefits of potassium supplementation safely and effectively.

We stand by our products and want to be sure that you have a great experience with our supplements. Unfortunately, due to food safety reasons we are unable to take product returns. If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, please contact us and we will try to address your concerns.

Experts recommend getting up to 4,700-5,000 mg of potassium daily. The recommended dose of PMAX1000 is one packet daily, and PMAX300 is recommended to be taken up to 3x daily with meals. We also recommend calculating the amount of potassium you get from food and then using supplementation and diet to increase your potassium intake in line with expert guidelines.

No! Oral potassium supplements have been studied in dozens of clinical trials for safety and efficacy. Taking PotassiMax according to the package directions will support cardiac function and healthy blood pressure. Always talk to your doctor before taking any new supplements.