Potassium and Low Carb Diets

Maintaining healthy amount of potassium levels are also mentioned as a potential problem for people living on a low carb diet. Dr. Atkins’ response to the concern is that any time people lose weight quickly, sodium or potassium levels become an issue. If anything – this is only a concern because the Atkins diet works so well.

Dr. Atkins explains, “When the diet works too well and the weight loss is too rapid, there can be weakness or other slightly debilitating symptoms, presumably caused by potassium or sodium shifts, that can be corrected by the simple measure of tripling or quadrupling the vegetable intake and slowing the weight loss down.”

As a general rule of thumb, any weight loss of more than a pound per day is likely to experience some problems.

Symptoms of potassium deficiency include Usually symptoms of low potassium are mild. At times they can be vague. You may have more than one symptom involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, kidneys, muscles, heart, and nerves.

• Weakness, tiredness, or cramping in arm or leg muscles, sometimes severe enough to cause inability to move arms or legs due to weakness (much like a paralysis)
• Tingling or numbness
• Nauseea or vomiting
• Abdominal cramping, bloating
• Constipation
• Palpitations (feeling your heart beat irregularly)
• Passing large amounts of urine or feeling very thirsty most of the time
• Fainting due to low blood pressure
• Abnormal psychological behavior: depression, psychosis, delirium, confusion, or hallucinations.

Symptoms list adapted from emedicine health.

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