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Mineral guide

Potassium

Potassium is an essential mineral and electrolyte. It is abundant in many foods, while supplements commonly provide much smaller amounts than the daily dietary reference intake.

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In this guideIngredient basics, choosing & product comparison

What is potassium?

Potassium is a major intracellular mineral and an electrolyte. It is naturally present in foods including potatoes, beans, vegetables, fruit and dairy products.

What does potassium support?

Potassium supports normal muscle function and normal functioning of the nervous system. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

When potassium supplements need extra care

Healthy kidneys help keep blood potassium within a narrow range. Kidney disease and some medicines can increase the risk of potassium becoming too high, so supplements and potassium-containing salt substitutes are not routine “more is better” products for everyone.

Salt substitutes can contain substantial potassium

Potassium chloride is commonly used to replace sodium in salt substitutes. If kidney function is reduced or you use medicines that can raise blood potassium, check with the appropriate healthcare professional before adding potassium supplements or potassium-based salt substitutes.

How much potassium?

The EU label NRV for potassium is 2,000 mg. This explains why a 99 mg supplement provides only about 5% NRV. Some products allow several servings per day, so compare the labelled daily serving rather than capsule strength alone.

Potassium from food vs supplements

Potassium is unusual among supplement minerals because the daily dietary reference amount is measured in grams, while many standalone supplements provide only around 99 mg per tablet or capsule. Supplements can therefore be useful for adding a defined amount, but they should not be mistaken for a replacement for potassium-rich foods.

What should you compare?

Potassium / day

Check the elemental potassium supplied by the recommended daily serving.

Form

Check the labelled potassium source, but compare the elemental potassium amount first.

Serving pattern

Some products recommend one serving while others allow multiple divided servings.

Product comparison

Compare potassium supplements

Compare potassium per day, form, serving, other active ingredients, format and vegan suitability.

Potassium supplements often provide a modest share of the daily reference amount. The EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for potassium is 2,000 mg for adult labelling; it is a labelling reference, not a personal dose recommendation. A 99 mg serving is about 5% of the NRV. Products with a variable daily serving should be compared using the labelled potassium amount for that serving.

How products are ordered: by the lowest labelled daily potassium amount, then alphabetically. This is not a ranking.

ProductPotassium / dayFormRecommended servingOther active ingredientsFormatVegan
NOW Magnesium & Potassium AspartateView product ↗99 mgPotassium aspartate2 veg capsules dailyMagnesium 250 mg; taurine 100 mgVeg capsuleYes
NOW Potassium Citrate 99 mgView product ↗99–495 mgPotassium citrate1 capsule, 1–5 times daily, preferably with food—Veg capsuleYes
NOW Potassium Gluconate 99 mgView product ↗99–495 mgPotassium gluconate1 tablet 1–5 times daily, preferably with food—TabletYes
Solgar Potassium Amino Acid ComplexView product ↗99 mgPotassium glycinate amino acid complex1 tablet daily—TabletYes
Solgar Potassium TabletsView product ↗99 mgPotassium gluconate1 tablet daily—TabletYes
NOW Potassium Citrate PowderView product ↗448–896 mgPotassium citrate1/4 level teaspoon, 1–2 times daily with food and water—PowderYes
EU health claim details
✓

Authorised health claims

EU-authorised health claims (Article 13)
3 authorised
●  Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.Nervous system · General population
Claim type
Health functions (Article 13)

Condition of use
The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of potassium.
What does “source of” usually mean?
General food: 300 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 150 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 300 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.


EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA opinion reference listed in the EU Register / Regulation (EU) No 432/2012

EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (consolidated 20 Aug 2025)
●  Potassium contributes to normal muscle function.Muscle function · General population
Claim type
Health functions (Article 13)

Condition of use
The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of potassium.
What does “source of” usually mean?
General food: 300 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 150 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 300 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.


EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA opinion reference listed in the EU Register / Regulation (EU) No 432/2012

EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (consolidated 20 Aug 2025)
●  Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.Blood pressure · General population
Claim type
Health functions (Article 13)

Condition of use
The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of potassium.
What does “source of” usually mean?
General food: 300 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 150 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 300 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.


EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA opinion reference listed in the EU Register / Regulation (EU) No 432/2012

EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (consolidated 20 Aug 2025)
×

Other assessed health claims (1)

Not authorised for use in the EU
View claims ↓
A non-authorised claim is not automatically the same as a scientifically disproven claim. Open a claim to see the recorded reason or source details where available.
●  Kalium ist wichtig zur Unterstützung des Stoffwechsels. Clarification provided: potassium supports the regulation of the acid-base balance (within several metabolic processes).Acid-base balance ·
Claim type
Health functions (Article 13)

Condition of use
—

EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2201

EU legal source
—

Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.

Regulatory details

Check how the claims on this page are classified and where their regulatory information comes from.

View page-level details
Ingredient
Potassium
Category
Mineral
NRV
2000 mg
Authorised claims
3
Other assessed claims
1
Claim framework
EU nutrition and health claims framework. Individual claim cards show the specific claim type, conditions of use, EFSA reference and legal source available in the version data.

Tip: expand any claim above for its claim-specific source details. The European Commission's EU Register is an information service; legal acts are the authoritative source for legal requirements, and some pending claims are not shown in the Register.

Claim use requirements

How much of this nutrient must a food contain for an EU health claim to be used?

For claims requiring the food to be a source of Potassium, the usual NRV-based significant amount is:
300 mg / 100 g or 100 ml for foods other than beverages
150 mg / 100 ml for beverages
300 mg per portion if the package contains only one portion
These are the general EU significant-amount reference levels. A claim-specific condition may be stricter and takes precedence.

Sources

Sources & further reading