3 Foods for K+ / Na+ Pump

The sodium–potassium (Na +/ K+) pump is responsible for nerve conduction, muscle contractions (including your heart beats), blood pressure, and removing acid from the body … and much more. Sodium and potassium are the two primary electrolytes in the body. Sodium and potassium ions are pumped in opposite directions across the membrane building up a chemical and electrical gradient for each. Sodium is pumped out of cells while potassium into cells, both against their concentration gradients.

1. Sundried Tomatoes – 454g (1lb) – 7-day supply – 70g per day (2.5oz)
2. Dried Apricots – 100g (3.5oz) – 7-day supply – 14g or 0.5oz per day (4 halves)
3. Goji Berries – 100g (3.5oz) – 7-day supply – 1 tablespoon per day (or 14g, or 0.5oz)

Low potassium is a common issue in the standard American diet. A healthy adult should get about 4,700mg of potassium and no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day.

Potassium is an essential nutrient that plays a dramatic role in maintaining heart muscle contractions and nervous system healthy and balancing the body’s overall metabolism. Sodium counteracts potassium. A high-potassium and low-sodium diet helps prevent high blood pressure and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. People who get a lot of potassium in their diets have a lower risk of stroke. The best sources of potassium are:

• sun-dried tomatoes – 1565mg/100g – 44%DV
• dried apricots – 1162mg/100g – 33%DV
• goji berries – 1132mg /100g – 25%DV

• Excellent in potassium – 1565mg (44% DV) – 4 times more than bananas!
• Low in sodium – 266mg (11% DV)

A 100-gram serving contains: calories – 213, total fat – 14g (21% DV), total carbohydrate – 23g, including 6g of dietary fiber (24% DV), and protein – 5g (10% DV)

• Super rich in lycopene: Sundried tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene that has important health benefits.
• Super rich in vitamin C – 102mg (169% DV) – as rich in vitamin C as oranges
• Excellent in vitamin A – 38% DV
• Great in vitamin B6 – 3mg (20% DV)
• Good in iron – 3mg (15% DV)

Useful Tip: Eating sundried tomatoes with healthy fats increases the absorption rate of lycopene by as much as five to seven times because it is a fat-soluble thing.

• Potassium: Dried apricots are rich in potassium (1162mg/100g – 33%DV) – almost 4 times more than bananas!
• Low in sodium – 10mg/100g – it makes them an excellent choice for potassium-to-sodium ratio.

One ounce (28g) of dried apricots is about 1/4 cup, or 8 halves of the dried fruit. It supplies 67 calories, 17g of total carbohydrates, 1g of protein and trace fat.

• Sugar: One ounce of dried apricots has 15g of sugar that provide 90% of the calories
• Provitamin A: Dried apricots are a good source of provitamin A, beta-carotene – 72% DV.
• Iron: They are rich in iron which is a core component of hemoglobin that delivers oxygen to every cell in the body. It is the nutrient that keeps us energized.
• A low glycemic index makes dried apricots health-beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

• Excellent in potassium – 1132mg (25%DV) – 3 times banana’s content!
• Sodium – 298mg (13% DV)

A 100-gram serving contains: calories – 349, total carbohydrate – 77g, including 46g of sugar and 13g of dietary fiber (52% DV), proteins – 14g (28% DV) that have all 9 essential amino acids

• Mega-super rich in vitamin A – 536% DV – a powerful antioxidant, immunity booster, eye-health promoter, and anti-aging agent; goji berries are not rich in provitamin A, they are superrich – comparable with beef liver and more than chicken liver!
• Excellent in vitamin C – 48mg (81% DV) – a powerful antioxidant, immunity booster, and anti-aging agent
• Excellent in iron – 7mg (38% DV) – goji berries are packed with iron which improves haemoglobin and red blood cells production
• Betaine – liver and kidney health promoter; a compound used by the liver to produce choline that helps expel toxins and waste from the body.