Potassium Bicarbonate Supplement

Potassium bicarbonate, or potassium hydrogen carbonate (KHCO3), plays an essential role in regulating acid-base balance. A supplement of potassium bicarbonate can restore blood pH within a relatively short time — just two to three weeks — and prevent the loss of dry mass from bones and muscles.

What is Potassium Bicarbonate?

Potassium is a trace element that plays an essential role in the body. Located in cells in the form of the potassium ion (K+), it’s primarily involved in the regulation of cardiac function, neuromuscular excitation and acid-base balance. Potassium is not naturally present in the body and must be obtained from food.

Foods rich in potassium include fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, squash and bananas. Other forms of potassium, including potassium bicarbonate, are available in supplement form.

What's the Difference Between Potassium Chloride and Potassium Bicarbonate

The Office of Dietary Supplements lists several different types of potassium supplements. While a supplement may contain potassium citrate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium gluconate, potassium aspartate or potassium phosphate, the elemental potassium is what’s important. However, the relationship between potassium and bicarbonate may offer some unique health benefits.

So, what are the differences between potassium chloride vs bicarbonate? Studies show minimal differences between the two, other than the fact potassium bicarbonate decreased urinary calcium and creatinine ratios significantly more. So if you’re looking for the best potassium bicarbonate supplement to combat kidney stones, specifically, potassium bicarbonate may be the better option of the two.

If you’re attempting to choose between potassium chloride vs potassium bicarbonate, make sure you consider all the potassium bicarbonate benefits. If you have kidney stones, for example, it may make more sense for you to take potassium bicarbonate capsules than potassium chloride capsules.

Benefits of Taking Potassium Bicarbonate

• One study comprised of older women showed that a high potassium intake is associated with a lower risk of stroke as well as all causes of mortality, in general
• The recommended average daily dose is around 2,000 mg, spread between the two main meals of the day, to help reduce osteoporosis and joint problems, cardiovascular problems (high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks), age-related muscle loss (uric-type) and kidney stones.
• One study of 18 menopausal women over three weeks revealed the benefits of potassium bicarbonate supplementation on bone metabolism, demonstrating that it reduced bone resorption and increased bone formation while decreasing urinary calcium excretion.
• Potassium also plays an essential role in cardiovascular health. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized its benefits for heart pump function and lowering blood pressure.
• The Intersalt study, investigating 10,000 participants in 52 populations across 32 countries, demonstrated the effects of potassium on high blood pressure. An increase in daily potassium intake from 1.17g to 1.35g was associated with a reduction in systolic pressure of 2-3mm Hg.
• The famous DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is characterized by higher fruit and vegetable consumption, which also raises daily potassium intake, mainly in its bicarbonate form. Studies show there may be a link between potassium bicarbonate and blood pressure. In fact, one study demonstrated that potassium bicarbonate lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.5mm and 3mm Hg, respectively, after eight weeks.

Potassium Bicarbonate Side Effects

Is potassium bicarbonate supplementation safe? As shown above, the FDA approves the potassium bicarbonate structure for consumption, and several studies have found several health benefits of potassium bicarbonate. The FDA also has no studies linking the substance to any hazards.

Potassium bicarbonate is a category C substance. This classification means that pregnant women, or those who are trying to get pregnant, should avoid potassium bicarbonate pills.

There's also no indication whether or not potassium bicarbonate supplementation can pass through breast milk, so lactating mothers should also avoid it until speaking with a healthcare professional.

While the potassium bicarbonate health benefits speak for themselves, you want to do your own research before starting supplementation. Look into any potential potassium bicarbonate supplement side effects that could cause issues for you. And if you are currently taking any medications or suffering from a health ailment, you should talk to your health practitioner before taking any new supplements.

Why is it important to supplement with Potassium Bicarbonate?

For several decades, scientists have studied what they believe could explain the rise in certain 'modern' diseases linked to diet: acid-base balance. For the body to function properly, it must maintain a balanced pH level — not too acidic nor too alkaline — of between 7.34 and 7.45, i.e. slightly alkaline.

Acid-base balance largely depends on the acidic or alkaline elements of the diet. Acidic foods, such as cereals and protein (especially animal protein) provide amino acids that contain sulfur and/or phosphorus, and salt provides chloride ions. These minerals contribute to the body's net systemic acid load. Alkaline foods, such as fruit and vegetables (root and tuberous), provide alkaline potassium salts.

Until the end of the Paleolithic period, our prehistoric ancestors had a highly alkaline diet due to its very high potassium salt content (two to three times more than in today's diets), which easily neutralized the acids produced by dietary metabolism. Modern diets, however, with their excessive meat, cheese and salt-enhanced cereal content, are leaving our bodies awash with chronic acidosis.

1. Muscle loss
2. Cardiovascular problems (high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks)
3. Kidney stones (crystallization of uric acid)
4. Osteoporosis and joint problems — if the diet is too acidic, the body draws on bone tissue to provide the calcium bicarbonate it needs to neutralize this acid load, which causes bone density to decrease and bones to become more fragile.

Supplementation may be necessary when the diet is too rich in animal protein (meat, fish, eggs or dairy products) and also to prevent the development of kidney stones and uric acid crystallization that accompany age-related decreases in kidney function. Athletes can also benefit from supplementation since they consume more than the average amount of protein and produce more lactic acid.

While most people buy potassium bicarbonate to regulate acid-base balance, it's possible to also take potassium bicarbonate for kidney stones and other specific health concerns.

How to Take Potassium Bicarbonate

Each vegetarian capsule contains 1,350 mg of potassium bicarbonate. We recommend taking two capsules, twice a day to ensure you receive the proper potassium bicarbonate dosage. When you purchase potassium bicarbonate from Supersmart, each container includes 120 capsules.

If you are taking potassium bicarbonate for high blood pressure, specifically, you may need to adjust the dosage based on your healthcare provider's advice.

Your doctor may also recommend an adjustment to the recommended potassium bicarbonate supplement dosage if you have a potassium deficiency and based on how severe it is.

While there are many potassium bicarbonate supplement benefits, this isn't an ideal product for everyone. In fact, you will want medical advice before taking it if you are on potassium-sparing diuretics or medicine for high blood pressure. You should also talk with your doctor about some of the more unique potassium bicarbonate supplement uses if you suffer from kidney stones, regularly.

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