How vital is Potassium to your body?
Potassium? You may have heard of it, but you cannot put your finger on it. Physicians advise taking 3,500 to 4,700 mg of potassium daily. The World Health Organization (WHO), too, recommends an intake of 3,510 mg per day. Hang on, this does not mean you pop a potassium pill into your mouth every day! Plenty of foods are rich in this mineral compound to help you meet your daily requirements.
For our bodies to function correctly, we need a diverse range of nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. They are essential for the growth of our bones, flesh, and organs, and for maintaining body metabolism. Moreover, we need them to keep diseases at bay and maintain overall good health. Potassium, as a macro-mineral, fulfills one of those essential nutrients.
Mineral electrolyte
Electrolytes are essential minerals found in blood, sweat, and urine. Minerals such as sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and potassium form the electrolytes our body needs.
An electrolyte imbalance in the body occurs when we lose fluids due to persistent vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, or fever. Other causes include: Medications such as steroids, diuretics, and laxatives.
Surprisingly, the fluids in your body—such as blood, sweat, and plasma—account for nearly 80 percent of your body's potassium requirement, while your bones and liver store the rest.
Biomedical scientists explain that Potassium, as an agent, regulates fluid balance in our bodies and controls the electrical activity of the heart and body muscles. In short, it helps the cellular and electrical functions of our body. Potassium helps our nerves function, our muscles contract, maintain a regular heartbeat, and pump nutrients into our body cells while removing waste products.
As a mineral electrolyte, this wonderful compound helps reduce the high sodium content in our bodies. It is said to minimize the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and the formation of kidney stones. It supports cardiovascular health, safeguards muscle mass, and preserves bone mineral density.
Potassium deficiency
Surprisingly, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, USA), in a survey called NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), revealed a mind-boggling fact: in the United States alone, a whopping 98 percent of people fail to meet the daily requirement of 3,500 to 4,700 mg of Potassium.
Catherine Collins, a dietician at St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, sheds light on Potassium by saying, “We use it to help generate an electrical charge which helps the cell function properly. It helps keep your heart rate steady, it helps trigger insulin release from the pancreas to help control blood sugars, and more importantly, keeps blood pressure in check.”
When the potassium level in our blood is low, it's called hypokalemia. The common symptoms of hypokalemia are fatigue, malaise, muscle aches/cramps, digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular palpitation, numbness of body parts, and breathing problems, among others.
Severe potassium deficiency occurs when an adult's potassium level falls below 3.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). In such cases, apart from the symptoms mentioned above, other symptoms may include low blood pressure, paralysis (resulting from muscle weakness), and respiratory failure. A simple blood test can give you your exact potassium level.
Lima beans
The role of the kidneys. Rabin Nepali: While researching this write-up, I met Dr Rabin Nepali, who kindly explained the role of the kidneys in potassium regulation. To quote Dr Rabin: “The dietary intake of potassium ranges from less than 35 to more than 110 mmol/day in US adults.” “Despite this widespread variation in intake, homeostatic mechanisms serve to maintain plasma potassium precisely between 3.5 and 5.0 mmol/L. In a healthy individual at steady state, the entire daily intake of Potassium is excreted, approximately 90 percent in the urine and 10 percent in the stool.”
“More than 98 percent of total body potassium is intracellular, chiefly in muscle. The rapid exchange of intracellular Potassium with extracellular Potassium plays a crucial role in maintaining plasma potassium within such a narrow range; this is accomplished by overlapping and synergistic regulation of a number of renal and extra-renal transport pathways.”
“So, kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining a steady state in potassium metabolism, by excreting excess potassium or reabsorbing it as required by the body.” (Dr Rabin Nepali, DM Nephrology, Asst. Professor, Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu).
Food and not supplements
Yes, do not get taken in by supplements, even when they sound tempting. There are one too many that you can buy over the counter. Go for dietary sources instead. There is an abundance of food rich in Potassium. Not processed food, though, as they are high in sodium.
Doctors of medicine argue that natural diets rich in Potassium are key to a lower risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney stones, and osteoporosis. Our daily foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, not only provide various nutrients but also serve as excellent sources of Potassium.
Avocado
Beverages such as milk, coffee, and other nonalcoholic drinks also contain a liberal amount of Potassium. Let’s take a look at the following chart:
Among the foods highest in Potassium are beet greens, white beans, soybeans, and Lima beans. The benefits of Potassium include:
Blood pressure and cardiovascular health
Today, hypertension or high blood pressure has become a commonplace health problem among old and young alike. If not addressed on time, it can lead to grave complications like stroke and heart disease.
Sodium, also known as salt, is closely linked to high blood pressure, and doctors recommend reducing salt intake. Now, Potassium is said to neutralize to a great extent the adverse effects of sodium. Our kidneys play a crucial role in regulating our blood pressure. They regulate the amount of fluid stored in our bodies to maintain a steady state. High blood pressure is associated with increased fluid volume in our bodies. Eating a potassium-rich diet helps counteract the effects of sodium and enables the kidneys to restore balance, ultimately lowering blood pressure to a healthy level.
Clinicians believe a diet high in Potassium can help cut systolic blood pressure by more than 10 points in people with high blood pressure. Talking about heart health, according to the WHO, 17.9m people worldwide die of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and others. Four out of five CVD deaths fall under heart attacks and strokes.
WHO recommends increasing potassium intake from foods (not refined foods) to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary heart disease. Potassium helps reduce vascular calcification, which is the formation of mineral deposits on the walls of our arteries and veins. These mineral deposits form plaques, thereby increasing the risk of stroke and blood clots.
A scientific study carried out by medical experts found that “those who consumed 4,069 mg of potassium per day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with those who consumed about 1,000 mg per day.”
Diabetes
Diabetes has turned into a global problem. The soaring prevalence of diabetes has burgeoned as “the epidemic of the century.” Once considered most common among older people, it now affects younger adults as well, owing to sedentary lifestyles and poor diets. According to the IDF (International Diabetes Federation), in 2017, the global number of adults with diabetes remained approximately 425m (20-79 years). IDF further stated that by 2045, the figure could reach a staggering 629m.
Studies made by health care professionals have come to new findings that lower levels of Potassium in the body are also associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at a high risk of ESRD (kidney failure or end-stage renal disease) and CVD (cardiovascular disease), both of which can result in life-threatening complications.
A study by Dr Shin-ichi Araki and several of his co-researchers in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that diets rich in Potassium may help protect heart and kidney health in patients with type 2 diabetes. The experiment included 623 Japanese people with type 2 diabetes. The trial ran from 1996 to 2003 with a median follow-up period of 11 years. The results showed that higher levels of Potassium in participants' urine were associated with a lower risk of renal dysfunction and cardiovascular problems.
Bone and muscle maintenance
A diet high in Potassium is closely related to bone health. Potassium-rich foods generate alkali in the body to maintain acid-base balance. A high intake of protein-rich or acidifying foods, such as meat, dairy products, and processed cereals, can lead to acidosis, which can have adverse effects on our bones and muscles.
Metabolic acidosis leads to increased nitrogen excretion, resulting in loss of bone mineral density and muscle wasting. On the other hand, potassium-rich foods like vegetables and fruits help neutralize the adverse effects of acidosis buildup in our bodies. Older people, too, benefit from eating potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, which preserve their muscle mass and enhance bone density as well.
Caveat
The intake of Potassium, as prescribed by a health care professional, is very beneficial to our overall health. Care should be taken, however, not to exceed the recommended daily dose of 4,700mg. Individuals with no health problems can easily eliminate excess amounts through their urine with no adverse effects. Food-related potassium toxicity is considered a rarity, but excessive consumption can lead to a complication called hyperkalemia. Our body cannot do without Potassium. However, it does not need to be in excess. The kidneys come to the rescue and reject the unwanted Potassium from the blood.
In kidney disease, excess Potassium can be dangerous because the kidneys fail to remove it, leaving it in the blood. Following this can have grave results, even life-threatening ones, and the condition is called hyperkalemia. All health care providers always advise against a high intake of Potassium, especially in patients who have dysfunctional kidney problems and are on supplements. Potassium levels between 5.1 and 6.0 mmol/L are considered high and need immediate consultation. Levels higher than 6.0 mmol/L are dangerous.
Beetroots
Bottom line
Diet, not supplements, is the best source of Potassium to meet your body’s requirements. “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” Those words were said by the ancient Greek founder of Western medicine, Hippocrates of Kos, during the Classical Greek period in the 5th century BC. No further words sound true right to this day. Eat right, stay healthy!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the above text are solely research-based, and the dietary information cited does not constitute any medical advice. The author solicits the reader’s discretion and cross-references or consultations with a healthcare practitioner for further substantiation.
Weak governance invites security threats
In this age of artificial intelligence, communication has become remarkably efficient at transferring knowledge, skills and disseminating opinions, which has revolutionized the entire socio-economic and political landscape of the country. When citizens become dissatisfied with the government, they voice their concerns through various means of expressions—chiefly newspapers, electronic media, and public speeches at mass gatherings. When the government’s off-color performance draws harsh castigation, the vulnerability to security threat intensifies.
People today are more aware than ever. They judge the entire functioning of the governance system—the power exercise mechanism for the management of the country’s internal and external affairs. In the name of establishing good governance, if it is marked by corruption, unaccountability, impunity, poor leadership and unresponsiveness, the nation becomes vulnerable to insecurity and instability.
In such a state of vulnerability, overall governance becomes progressively weaker. Weak governance refers to the government’s inability to function effectively, resulting in a loss of trust among its citizens and international community. Once the trust deficit flows on the surface of government—citizen relations, public participation in socio-economic and political development declines.
Sudan and South Sudan have endured relentless and devastating civil wars because of the utter failure of the public delivery system, widespread corruption, grossly unequal distribution of resources, deep-seated ethnic divisions, and exclusionary governance. Haiti’s frequent leadership changes and rampant corruption are another example of internal conflict resulting from weak governance, which invited insecurity across the country. Ineffective policing and low morale among security personnel allowed criminal gangs to gain control over parts of the capital.
Even today foreign tourists rarely dare to visit the country, contributing to a continued decline in its economy. These two instances give an eye-opening lesson to all the developing nations about the dire consequences of the government’s failure to establish good governance. If the governance system deteriorates due to the shortsightedness of ruling leaders and ineffective performance of bureaucracy, it creates fertile ground for external powers to exploit such countries for their strategic interests. A country with a weak government is fertile ground for corruption, conflict and foreign interference.
Learning lessons
In 1990, following the restoration of multiparty democracy, Nepal adopted a neoliberal policy in response to the global wave of liberalization. Liberalization necessitates strong competition across all spheres of national activity, including the economy, social development and political democratization. Competitive strength is gained through the cultivation of a highly skilled human resource base, the production of value-added industrial goods based on national resources, manufacturing of low cost-high value products, maintaining stable national policies, winning the trust of private sector, and upkeeping of a stable, transparent, corruptionless governance and fostering hassle free business environment.
However, the expected outcomes of the goals envisioned through policies on industrial development, quality education, creation of a corruption-free society, promotion of professional ethics, reduction of inequality between rural and urban populations, modernization of agriculture, and the creation of job opportunities for youth were not materialized to the extent anticipated. In the past, during the election campaign, political parties used to entice voters with ambitious promises—pledging to transform Nepal into a ‘second Singapore’, generate employment and ensure free housing, clothing and food for all Nepali citizens. Unfortunately, such promises were never fulfilled. Rather, the youth were made to leave their homeland to seek employment abroad. as there were limited job opportunities within the country. This situation left young people and others frustrated and dissatisfied.
Empirical studies reveal that if the public dissatisfaction with the government continues for long, it can pose a serious threat to national security, potentially triggering turbulence resulting through peaceful or violent actions. The GenZ (Nava Yuba) protest on Sept 8 began as a peaceful demonstration. However, under the guise of the GenZ movement, the next day witnessed unlawful activities of arson targeting historic government buildings, private residences, media houses, and business centers followed by looting of public and private property and killing of police personnel amid growing suspicions of infiltration. This was an unprecedented incident in the political history of Nepal. Even during the decade-long Maoist insurgency, no such incident had taken place.
Some politicians and intellectuals opine that the protests and destruction of Sept 9 caused by purported GenZ were orchestrated by foreign powers. But was the unrest truly instigated by external elements? This is indeed a sensitive and serious question. One thing is clear: weak governance invites foreign interference and fuels domestic discontent. No doubt, external actors are always active in attempts to destabilize the government to serve their interests. Nevertheless, it is the solemn duty and responsibility of all Nepali patriots—whether in government or outside it—to be vigilant and resolute in sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
If Nepal becomes economically resilient and technologically advanced, its voice on global platforms will be far stronger than before. In such a case, no foreign power will be able to turn the country into its playground. It is also time to understand why governance remains so fragile in the Sahel region of Africa and how Ukraine has been enduring the ravages of war for the last three years. There are significant lessons to be learnt from their experiences.
Despite its major mandate to conduct free and fair elections scheduled on 5 March 2026, the government simultaneously should ensure effective governance so that the people’s hopes for a better life do not go in vain.
Nepal’s eroded democratic path
Lorenzo Viviani’s ‘Leadership and Democracy: A Political Sociology of the Personalization of Leadership’ examines how political leadership is transforming in contemporary democracies. He argues that power is increasingly personalized, shaped by the charisma, image and populist styles of individual leaders. These developments, Viviani explains, redefine leadership, legitimacy and democratic institutions. To understand modern leadership, he emphasizes, one must analyze how the relationship between leaders and voters is evolving and what factors shape perceptions of legitimacy and trust (2024).
Nepal’s recent political developments can be interpreted within this framework. The youth-led protests of Sept 8–9 raised profound questions about leadership, legitimacy and governance. A major turning point came earlier that month, when the government imposed a social media ban on Sept 4. The subsequent protests not only forced the government’s resignation but also fundamentally reshaped Nepal’s political discourse. A lack of transparency, declining charisma among political leaders and the rise of populist rhetoric were central to this crisis.
Thousands of young people mobilized against the Oli government, accusing it of authoritarian behavior and widespread corruption. Tragically, security forces killed a number of protesters and injured many others on the first day. The government’s response was marked by indifference; no cabinet minister resigned or expressed remorse.
Instead, officials used harsh language against demonstrators, exposing the regime’s authoritarian tendencies despite its democratic mandate. Public anger intensified, and by the second day, the protests had turned violent. Government and private properties, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court and residences of political figures, were set ablaze. Unable to control the situation, the Oli government resigned, and the prime minister was evacuated under military protection. Prominent figures, including Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, were assaulted by crowds in an unprecedented display of public outrage.
In the aftermath, an interim government was established under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, with a mandate to conduct parliamentary elections within six months. From a conflict studies perspective, this transition offers valuable insights into the erosion of democratic legitimacy and the interplay of leadership, governance and populism.
The Oli administration had failed to meet public expectations, relying on nationalist rhetoric as a political survival strategy rather than pursuing genuine reform. His government’s verbal attacks, manipulative politics and outdated economic vision alienated the public. Instead of strengthening institutions, it punished opponents selectively and used the justice system for retribution. Transparency collapsed, and bureaucratic inefficiency appeared to serve as a shield to corruption.
The decline of charisma among Nepal’s political elite further deepened the crisis. Charisma, in this context, refers not to personal appeal but to visionary leadership and moral authority. Long-standing political leaders failed to articulate a compelling national vision. The traditional rhetoric of democracy, development and prosperity no longer inspired the youth. Dominated by aging figures with conventional mindsets, major parties have struggled to deliver tangible progress, leading to public disappointment. When leaders lose moral grounding and credibility, authority inevitably weakens.
Figures such as KP Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal saw their influence erode as perceptions of self-interest and moral decay grew. Their visible wealth and comfort contrasted sharply with public hardship, reinforcing cynicism. The resulting collapse of charisma contributed to governance instability and accelerated democratic erosion.
Neo-populist trends also played a critical role in Nepal’s recent upheaval. Both emerging and established leaders adopted populist strategies to gain influence. Within the Nepali Congress, Gagan Thapa’s campaign for youth leadership directly challenged the establishment authority of senior figures such as Sher Bahadur Deuba. While the movement mobilized younger voters, it often prioritized personal ambition over institutional reform and civic education.
Although frustration with the older generation’s corruption and stagnation is understandable, turning to populist shortcuts risks further democratic erosion. Leaders propelled by populist appeal frequently weaken institutions, restrict civil liberties and centralize power, even when elected through democratic means. Consequently, Thapa and his allies, despite their electoral legitimacy, risk undermining Nepal’s fragile democratic foundations if populism continues to define their political trajectory.
As Viviani observes, political power has become increasingly personalized. Nepal’s youth movement and subsequent political transition exemplify how populist manipulation of public discourse can disrupt democratic stability.
Fueled by technology and vast, often misleading information flows, young protesters demanded instant transformation and prosperity.
However, the absence of civic education and unrealistic expectations led to frustration and destructive outcomes. The violence and instability that followed severely damaged Nepal’s international standing. Foreign investors, already cautious, became even more hesitant. The destruction of historic landmarks, private enterprises and public infrastructure symbolizes not renewal but regression. Ultimately, the crisis has left Nepal more polarized, ego-driven and fragile, posing serious challenges for the nation’s democratic future.
Nepal’s recent political crisis reflects the growing personalization of power that Viviani describes in Leadership and Democracy. The 2025 youth-led protests, sparked by government repression and corruption, exposed the collapse of transparency, moral leadership and public trust. As traditional leaders lost credibility and populist figures rose, Nepal’s democracy weakened further, marked by violence, institutional decay and deep generational frustration with unfulfilled promises.
The paradox called the parliament
The maxim that democracy should not collapse even if the parliament collapses is the essence of a democratic system worth its name. This makes all the more sense at a time when Nepal’s political transition has reached a strange turning point yet again. There was no dearth of people, who expected the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament, to give the country caught in a crisis situation a new direction. Contrary to their expectations, Nepal finds herself trapped in a parliamentary paradox where the parliament is simultaneously “in existence” and “non-existent.”
Four ‘constitutional figures’ stand at the center of this paradox or, say, constitutional crisis:
- The Prime Minister, who is not a member of the parliament,
- The Speaker, who continues to hold office even after the dissolution of the House of Representatives
- The National Assembly, the upper chamber of the parliament, is still active, and
- The President, who is constitutionally a part of the parliament, remains in power
All these four figures represent the unstable and constitutionally complex political situation of Nepal.
Government sans parliament
President Ramchandra Paudel, while appointing Sushila Karki as the Prime Minister of the Interim Council of Ministers on Sept 12 as per Article 61(4) of the Constitution, has relied on the provisions of the existing Constitution while setting a deadline of six months for holding elections to the House of Representatives. According to the said provision, the Prime Minister can remain in office for a maximum of six months even if he is not a member of Parliament. However, in the current political situation, that deadline has become more of a political issue than a legal one.
In order to address the peculiar and extraordinary political situation that has emerged in the country and to respectfully address the aspirations and expectations for change expressed by the current young generation, the President has appointed Sushila Karki as the Head of the Interim Government after necessary consultations and discussions with various political parties and stakeholders. This decision has been taken as an attempt to lead the country towards stability on the constitutional path and end the current political deadlock.
Prime Minister Karki was appointed in the unusual situation arising from the current political crisis, dissolution of Parliament, and lack of executive leadership, in response to the demands for political reform and change that emerged after the GenZ movement of Sept 8-9. The interim government has been formed in accordance with the Doctrine of Necessity as a temporary arrangement to lead the country towards stability and elections before the formation of a permanent government.
Speaker with a limited role
This is not the first time in Nepal’s parliamentary history that the Speaker has remained in office even after the dissolution of the House of Representatives. Even after King Gyanendra Shah dissolved the House of Representatives on 22 May 2002, Speaker Taranath Ranabhat remained in office for almost four years—till 28 April 2006. The first meeting of the restored House of Representatives held the same day, after the success of the Second People’s Movement-2006, steered Nepal’s democratic journey in a new direction.
A situation similar to this seems to be in place at present. Even after the dissolution of the lower chamber, Speaker Devraj Ghimire remains in office, though with a limited role, sparking a politico-constitutional debate.
Half a legislature?
Despite the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly still exists, which reflects a kind of institutional continuity. But this continuity is not based on full legitimacy, because when only half of the Parliament is active, the parliamentary system remains only on paper. The National Assembly can discuss and make suggestions, but in the absence of the House of Representatives, it cannot make or pass laws. Therefore, the current situation has become a mixture of an incomplete parliament and a constitutional crisis, weakening the balance of the federal governance structure, where the core spirit of people’s representation—the direct voice of the people and participation in the decision-making process—has become inactive.
As a result, the people’s control over policymaking and governance—through elected representatives—is eroding, thereby raising questions on the credibility of democratic institutions and the spirit of the Constitution.
A decisive role, limited powers
Although the Constitution of Nepal grants the President only formal and limited powers, his role can become particularly important in unusual political situations. When both the executive and the legislature are caught in uncertainty, the president has the potential to become the decisive force in maintaining the “constitutional balance.” In the current situation, the president’s decisions, consultations or silence will directly affect Nepal’s political course. The president’s move—either to act in defense of the constitution, democratic values and national unity or to remain inactive—will determine the course of the country’s governance structure and stability in the coming months.
What after 5 March 2026?
Nepal’s political future now seems to depend on the general elections slated for 5 March 2026. If the vote takes place on time and in a free and fair manner, the country can embark on a journey of stability and public trust. The emergence of a new leadership seems possible with the political consciousness of the new generation, the energy of the GenZ movement and the (re)awakening of civil society. But if the election gets postponed again or delayed due to political interests, the country will again fall into a cycle of constitutional vacuum and instability. In such a situation, the crisis of legitimacy will only deepen, raising crucial questions on the roles of the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the National Assembly chair and the President.
An acid test for democracy
Nepal’s democracy is once again facing a serious test today. It is a result of its own constitutional ambiguity and political insensitivity. The Prime Minister must obtain the mandate of the Parliament, the Speaker must preserve the dignity of the office, the National Assembly must show constitutional restraint, and the President must play a decisive role in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. 5 March 2026 is not just an election date, it is a moment of re-evaluation of Nepal’s democracy. The country is at a critical juncture, where both the maturity of the leadership and the level of public trust will be measured. If this hour passes smoothly, democracy will be reborn, otherwise the republic will plunge into a serious crisis.
