Potassium
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- Potassium is an electrolyte that is essential for body functions such as water and electrolyte balance, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and blood pressure control. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Potassium is an essential mineral in the human diet. It plays an important role in many physiological processes in the human body including the distribution of body fluids, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too little
- Hypokalemia (low blood potassium) caused by eating too little potassium is said to be rare in the general population. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Low potassium intakes are associated with raised blood pressure and increased risk of stroke. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too much
- Cases of hyperkalemia (high blood potassium) have been reported with supplements or potassium salt substitutes, so people at high risk, such as those with kidney disease and older adults, need individual management. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- There is not enough consistent scientific evidence that a high potassium intake from ordinary diets causes harmful effects in healthy adults. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | AI |
|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 400 mg |
| 6–11 months | 700 mg |
| 1–2 years | 1500 mg |
| 3–5 years | 2300 mg |
| Male · 6–8 years | 2600 mg |
| Male · 9–11 years | 3100 mg |
| Male · 12–14 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 15–18 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 19–29 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 30–49 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 50–64 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 65–74 years | 3500 mg |
| Male · 75+ years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 6–8 years | 2600 mg |
| Female · 9–11 years | 3100 mg |
| Female · 12–14 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 15–18 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 19–29 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 30–49 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 50–64 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 65–74 years | 3500 mg |
| Female · 75+ years | 3500 mg |
| Pregnancy | +0 mg |
| Lactation | +400 mg |
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 400 mg | — |
| 7–12 months | 860 mg | — |
| 1–3 years | 2000 mg | — |
| 4–8 years | 2300 mg | — |
| Male · 9–13 years | 2500 mg | — |
| Male · 14–18 years | 3000 mg | — |
| Male · 19–30 years | 3400 mg | — |
| Male · 31–50 years | 3400 mg | — |
| Male · 51–70 years | 3400 mg | — |
| Male · 71+ years | 3400 mg | — |
| Female · 9–13 years | 2300 mg | — |
| Female · 14–18 years | 2300 mg | — |
| Female · 19–30 years | 2600 mg | — |
| Female · 31–50 years | 2600 mg | — |
| Female · 51–70 years | 2600 mg | — |
| Female · 71+ years | 2600 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 2600 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 2900 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 2900 mg | — |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 2500 mg | — |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 2800 mg | — |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 2800 mg | — |
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 7–11 months | 750 mg | |
| 1–3 years | 800 mg | |
| 4–6 years | 1100 mg | |
| 7–10 years | 1800 mg | |
| 11–14 years | 2700 mg | |
| 15–17 years | 3500 mg | |
| 18+ years | 3500 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 18–60 years | 3500 mg | |
| Lactation · 18–60 years | 4000 mg | |
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — | |
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.