Mineral
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. NIH publishes reference intake amounts for Potassium by life stage, listed in the table below. Read 2026-08-16.
What is Potassium?
"Potassium is a mineral found in many foods."
How much Potassium does NIH publish?
| Life stage | Amount | Printed table |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 400 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Breastfeeding teens | 2,500 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Breastfeeding women | 2,800 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Children 1–3 years | 2,000 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Children 4–8 years | 2,300 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Infants 7–12 months | 860 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Pregnant teens | 2,600 mg | Recommended Amount |
| Pregnant women | 2,900 mg | Recommended Amount |
Children and teens
Rows for children and teens appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Rows for pregnant and breastfeeding life stages appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.
What upper limit does NIH publish for Potassium?
NIH publishes no upper limit for Potassium.
Which foods contain Potassium?
NIH's fact sheet for Potassium carries no line we quote here about foods.
Where these numbers come from
Every quote and every amount on this page comes from National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium — Consumer. Public domain (U.S. Government work). LAFYA read the sheet 2026-08-16.
Read the full fact sheet at NIH Office of Dietary SupplementsWhat LAFYA does not say about Potassium
LAFYA publishes no claim that potassium does anything in the body, because we cannot prove one.