According to science, if you carry more muscle than body fat you will live longer. One way to increase your muscle is by eating more potassium. Adults who consume 2000mg of potassium daily can expect to have 1.64 kg more muscle than people consuming 1000mg of potassium daily. As we age, we lose more muscle at a faster rate, approximately 2 kg per decade. These losses can likely be prevented by increasing the amount of potassium in our diet. Food sources high in potassium include: one slice of turkey (230mg of potassium), scrambled eggs (168mg of potassium), brown rice and tofu stir-fry (375mg of potassium), potatoes ( 1 potato =844mg of potassium), pears (1 pear =200mg of potassium), bananas (1 banana =422mg of potassium), and avocados (1 avocado =861mg of potassium).
Dawson-Hughes, B. 2008. Alkaline diets favour lean tissue mass in older adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87, 662-665.
