When angioten-sin is activated, your blood vessels constrict and your kidneys start to retain sodium . Both of these actions bump up blood pressure. In fact, that s the approach that some doctors take. Excessive potassium can upset the balance of other minerals in the body and cause potentially fatal heart and kidney problems. Independent of its effect on blood pressure, high potassium intake also seems to have a protective effect on the kidneys, Dr. Young says.
Potassium also offers promise as a kidney-guarding mineral.
A normal heartbeat may seem simple, but it s a highly coordinated event, directed by the sequential firing of nerves that signal each chamber of the heart. When all goes well, the lower chambers and the upper chambers work in sequence, pumping blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. When things go awry, the nerve signals may be delayed, or the nerves may fire more often than necessary. The chambers may not pump in proper sequence. The end result is that the heart pumps blood less efficiently.