Sodium BAD, Potassium GOOD !

From: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm

Another dietary measure to lower blood pressure is to consume a diet rich in potassium. A potassium-rich diet also blunts the effects of salt on blood pressure, may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones, and possibly decrease bone loss with age. The recommended intake of potassium for adolescents and adults is 4,700 mg/day. Recommended intakes for potassium for children 1 to 3 years of age is 3,000 mg/day, 4 to 8 years of age is 3,800 mg/day, and 9 to 13 years of age is 4,500 mg/day. Potassium should come from food sources. Fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium with its bicarbonate precursors, favorably affect acid-base metabolism, which may reduce risk of kidney stones and bone loss. Potassium-rich fruits and vegetables include leafy green vegetables, fruit from vines, and root vegetables. Meat, milk, and cereal products also contain potassium, but may not have the same effect on acid-base metabolism.

Sources of potassium:

• Baked white or sweetpotatoes, cooked greens (such as spinach), winter (orange) squash
• Bananas, plantains, many dried fruits, oranges and orange juice, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons
• Cooked dry beans
• Soybeans (green and mature)
• Tomato products (sauce, paste, puree)
• Beet greens