Potassium
Definition
Potassium is both a mineral and electrolyte that is essential for bodily function. It helps nerves, muscles and the heart to work properly (Gibson 2005). Potassium is found in varying amounts in most foods. Leafy green vegetables, root vegetables and vine fruit are all good sources of potassium. Legumes, tree fruits, milk, yoghurts, and meats are moderate sources of potassium (NHMRC 2013).
Research has shown that low levels of potassium can contribute to developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (NHMRC 2013; WHO 2012a, 2023). In 2023, ischaemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases were the number one and number three leading causes of death in Australia, see Causes of Death, Australia, 2023.
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed previous statements that an increase in potassium intake from food reduces blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease in adults. WHO suggests a potassium intake from food of at least 3510 mg/day (90 mmol/day) for adults (WHO 2023). A biomedical measure of potassium intakes is considered useful in addition to estimated potassium intakes to assess trends in population urinary potassium levels.
Food processing reduces the amount of potassium in many food products, and a diet high in processed foods and low in fresh fruits and vegetables is often lacking in potassium (Mente et al. 2009; WHO 2012a, 2023).
The 2013 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand for potassium are expressed as Adequate Intakes. The level of potassium within the body may vary throughout the day and is dependent on a person’s dietary intake. Potassium requirements may also be affected by climate and physical activity, the use of diuretics and the intake of sodium (NHMRC 2013; WHO 2012a, b).
Evidence shows that increasing potassium intake significantly reduces blood pressure in adults. The function of potassium in the body is closely related to that of sodium. As sodium consumption rises, increased consumption of potassium may be even more beneficial because, in addition to other benefits, it can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure (WHO 2012a, 2023). High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk for CVDs, especially heart attack and stroke (WHO 2023).
Laboratory test information, including analysis methods and machines used to measure potassium biomarkers, is available from the Downloads page.
Methodology
Potassium results were obtained for persons aged 5 years and over who provided a urine sample. Fasting was not required for this test.
Urinary potassium levels were measured at the Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology (DHM) laboratory using an integrated chip technology method. The potassium test measures the total amount of potassium in the urine that has been excreted from the body at the time of the test (spot test), expressed as mmol/L.
There is no consensus of epidemiological cut-off reference values for measuring potassium excretion from spot urine. As such no cut-off points have been defined.
While spot urine potassium tests have been used in international health surveys, it is recognised that it is not the most accurate method of estimating population potassium intakes. Interpretation of potassium test results is difficult as potassium levels in the urine are dependent on food intakes, kidney function, medications, blood pressure, sodium intake and excretion, and other factors (Mente et al. 2009).
A 24-hour urinary collection is widely considered to be the most accurate method of measuring potassium intakes as over 90% ingested potassium is excreted in urine within a 24-hour period (McLean 2014). In the IHMHS, a spot urine sample was used to test potassium content as it was not practical to collect urine samples from all study participants over a 24-hour period due to the high respondent burden and other method limitations (McLean 2014).
Potassium data is not currently included in ABS publications. However, potassium results are available in DataLab microdata products.
Interpretation
Points to be considered when interpreting data for this topic include the following:
- Urinary potassium results do not confirm a specific diagnosis of deficiency without consultation with a health professional.
- There are several different test methods to measure potassium levels, and each test method or collection method may produce different results. The data from this topic should therefore be used with caution when comparing potassium results from other studies using a different test approach.
Comparison to other potassium biomarker data
This is the second time the ABS has collected information on potassium levels. Potassium was previously collected in the NHMS 2011–12 and the NATSIHMS 2012–13. For information on time series comparability, see Comparing biomedical collections over time.
Potassium data has been collected in other non-ABS surveys. However, caution must be taken when interpreting results due to the differences in scope, assay and the instrument used, and any thresholds applied in the final analysis.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2024), Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 20/02/2025.
Gibson RS (2005), Principles of Nutritional Assessment, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press.
McLean RM (2014), Measuring Population Sodium Intake: A Review of Methods, Nutrients, 6(11):4651-4662, accessed 20/02/2025.
Mente A, Irvine EJ, Honey RJD, Logan AG (2009), Urinary Potassium Is a Clinically Useful Test to Detect a Poor Quality Diet, Journal of Nutrition, 139(4):743-749, accessed 20/02/2025.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (2013), ‘Potassium’ Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, Eat for Health website, accessed 20/02/2025.
World Health Organization (WHO) (2012a), Guideline: potassium intake for adults and children, WHO, accessed 20/02/2025.
World Health Organization (WHO) (2012b), Guideline: sodium intake for adults and children, WHO, accessed 20/02/2025.
World Health Organization (WHO) (2023), Increasing potassium intake to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in adults, WHO website, accessed 20/02/2025.