Modified Calcium and Potassium Diets

Morgan Tilley

West Coast University NURS211L

The mineral that is the most plentiful in the body is calcium. It is mainly found in bones and teeth but also in plasma and other fluids within the body. Calcium plays an important role in blood clotting, nerve transmission, muscle contraction and relaxation, cell membrane permeability and the activation of certain enzymes, along with protecting against colorectal cancer. The intake of calcium or dairy products is associated with lower blood pressures, controlling body weight and obesity.
Potassium in the human body is largely located in the cells as the major cation of the intracellular fluid. There is also a small amount of potassium in the extracellular fluid where its function is to maintain fluid balance, maintain acid-base balance, transmit nerve impulses, catalyze metabolic reactions, aid in carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis, and control skeletal muscle contractility. When potassium is not excreted properly, such as diabetes, chronic renal insufficiency, end-stage renal disease, severe heart failure and adrenal insufficiency, high potassium levels can then lead to hyperkalemia and other life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the arteries have persistently elevated blood pressure. It can lead to damaged organs, as well as several illnesses such as renal failure, an aneurysm, heart failure, stroke or heart attack. One of the numerous causes of hypertension includes insufficient calcium (or Vitamin D), potassium and magnesium consumption. There are two types of hypertension, primary and secondary. Primary hypertension is of an unknown cause, which could be a result of a combination of poor lifestyle choices and genetics. Secondary hypertension is the result of another disease, most often