What Is Toxic Potassium?

Potassium is a very important mineral for soil health and for the health of all plants, animals and human beings. Its roles include:

- soil fertility and plant growth

- regulating osmotic balance

- regulating cell membrane potential

- polarizing plant and animal cells via the sodium pump mechanism

- heart and blood pressure regulation

- nerve impulse conduction.

- regulation of blood viscosity and pH.

- regulation of carbon dioxide transport in red blood cells.

- regulation of cell permeability.

- muscle contraction and relaxation

Superphosphate fertilizers

About 100 years ago, soil scientists discovered how to combine potassium with other elements to make superphosphate fertilizers. Soon farmers were adding these compounds to the soils of the world in massive amounts because they increased crop yields. The results were so dramatic that problems that arose from the new science were and still are ignored.

The problem is that these industrially-produced potassium compounds are somewhat toxic. In this article, we will call these less desirable or less healthful forms toxic potassium.

They include potassium carbonate and nitrate (used in fertilizers), mono and dibasic phosphate (used in fertilizers), chelate and gluconate (used in nutritional supplements), chloride (used in medicine), guaiacolsulfonate, iodide (used to protect from radioactive iodine), iodate, nitrite, oxides, oxalate, permanganate, sulfates, cyanide, acetate, bitartrate, and potassium sodium tartrate.

THE SERIOUS PROBLEM OF TOXIC POTASSIUM

Today the problem of toxic potassium has become a major environmental concern due to a convergence of four factors:

1. As stated above, industrially-produced potassium compounds are somewhat toxic.

2. These compounds are now applied to trillions of acres of land throughout the world each year.

3. Most of the industrially-produced potassium compounds do not biodegrade or break down quickly. Many persist in the environment for 10 years or longer.

4. Most soil specialists and doctors are not aware of these facts, so these chemicals are permitted to be used on most food crops, non-food crops and elsewhere.

As a result, toxic potassium compounds now contaminate most drinking water and food supplies throughout the earth. They also contaminate many lakes, rivers, streams and the oceans.

They damage the health of the soil, agricultural crops and livestock, wildlife and human beings around the world.

HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

A number of scientists have written about this problem. Among them are William Albrecht, PhD, Andre Voisin, author of Soil, Grass and Cancer, Charles Walters, founder of Acres USA magazine, and Louis Kervran, author of Biological Transmutation.

They and others warned the world years ago that the superphosphate fertilizers are mainly growth stimulants that would cause massive problems for agriculture. However, their voices were not heard, and in some cases they were silenced. The benefits of N-P-K fertilization seemed so great that how could anyone doubt their effectiveness?

Hair mineral testing research. For the past 40 years, the author has used hair mineral testing as a health assessment and monitoring tool with human beings. This test is identical to the standard soil testing procedure used by farmers and ranchers the world over.

Several years ago we noticed that as human beings heal at deep levels, often the hair potassium level rises sharply on their hair mineral test. Six months later, however, the potassium level declines again toward the normal levels.

When this occurs, the person usually reports feeling better. Often a person feels more mature, as well. What seems to occur is that as the body heals, the body replaces toxic forms of potassium with more physiological or more biologically active forms of potassium. Elimination of stored toxic potassium through the hair and skin causes the sharp rise in the potassium level on the hair mineral test.

This led us to the idea that many human bodies contain toxic forms of potassium that the body must eliminate in order to achieve optimum health.

In fact, the problem of toxic potassium contributes to diverse array of environmental problems from a decline in soil fertility to human and animal cancers.

Confusing results. The mass spectrometer and ICP (induction-coupled plasma) units used by Analytical Research Labs and other hair testing laboratories cannot distinguish the potassium compounds in the hair.

Their machines only provide a total potassium reading. This can be confusing, since one does not know how much of the potassium compounds found in tissues are beneficial and how much are less desirable forms.

SOURCES OF TOXIC POTASSIUM

SUPERPHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS

Superphosphate or N-P-K fertilizers are the major source of toxic potassium compounds. They are one of basic elements of the so-called “green revolution” in agriculture that began early in the 20th century. The use of superphosphates, along with chemical pesticides, increased crop yields dramatically but produces much weaker and much more nutritionally deficient crops.

Today, these fertilizers are approved for use on organic and non-organic crops around the world. Billions of tons of them have been spread on the fields, and they continue to be used on both food and non-food crops.

Because they do not degrade quickly, they now contaminate most agricultural land and most of the earth’s water supplies, including the oceans. Residues are now found in most, if not all, industrially-grown and organically grown fruit, vegetables, grains and most meat and fish. For more about this terrible environmental problem and the nutritional depletion of our food, read

OTHER SOURCES

Potassium supplements

Most, if not all potassium supplements are somewhat toxic. These include potassium chelate, potassium chloride and potassium citrate. This is one reason we do not recommend potassium supplements.

The best way to obtain more healthful potassium is to eat plenty of properly cooked, not raw vegetables. Raw vegetables contain potassium, but most of it is locked in the tough vegetable fibers that human beings cannot digest.

Medical drugs

Some medical drugs contain toxic forms of potassium.

Potassium used in water softeners

Toxic potassium compounds are routinely added to some home and industrial water supplies to soften the water.

FOOD SOURCES

Fruit and dairy products

Fruit absorbs more toxic potassium from superphosphate fertilizers than any other type of food. Toxic potassium has an affinity for the sexual organs of plants and animals, and fruits are the expanded ovaries of plants. The potassium is incorporated into the fruit and cannot be washed off.

Cooking

Cooking destroys some toxic potassium compounds, but fruit is generally eaten raw, making the problem worse.

It does not seem to matter much if the fruit is pesticide-free, organic, non-hybridized or heirloom varieties. This is one of the sad facts about almost all fruit today, and a major reason we do not recommend eating any of it today.

Vegetables that are fruits in the botanical sense. Some vegetables are really fruit’s because they are expanded ovaries of plants and contain seeds.

These include:

1. All the nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant)

2. All squashes and pumpkins.

3. A few others such as cucumbers and okra. All of the above contain seeds.

These foods tend to contain more toxic potassium. This is one reason we don’t recommend them as foods for daily use with development programs. We forbid nightshades and summer squashes completely. We allow winter squashes and pumpkins as occasional foods because they are not as toxic and are less cooling or yin than the others.

Dairy products

Milk, yogurt and kefir contain a little toxic potassium. Cheese is a little better because most of the liquid has been removed from the product.

This is a problem today with most dairy products, but especially non-organic dairy products.

Fish

All fish and shellfish today contain some toxic potassium. The most contaminated is that which is caught in streams, lakes and coastal ocean waters where there is agricultural runoff.

Ocean fish, including sardines, have less of it. This is one reason we recommend eating sardines, along with the lower mercury content of sardines. Most other fish have a much higher mercury content and why you should avoid them.

Krill

Krill, a relative of the shrimp, contains quite a lot of toxic potassium. Some health authorities recommend krill as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, anyone who uses this oil gets a lot of a toxic form of potassium. This is one reason we do not recommend krill oil.

Meats

These are somewhat contaminated as well. Grass fed meat is much less contaminated with toxic potassium than standard grain fed meat.

Grains and nuts

These foods are also often somewhat contaminated with toxic potassium from N-P-K (or superphosphate) fertilizers.

Drinking water

Most drinking water supplies on earth are somewhat contaminated with toxic potassium. Spring water is among the least contaminated and this is one reason we recommend drinking it rather than most well water or other types of water.

OTHER SOURCES

Congenital toxicity

Today, all babies are born with excessive amounts of toxic potassium. This occurs because their mothers’ bodies are contaminated and the potassium is passed to the babies through the placenta.

We notice this on hair mineral tests of babies, which usually reveal elevated levels of potassium. When these levels decline with a development program, the health of the babies improves. Symptoms such as eczema, infections, and others disappear.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF TOXIC POTASSIUM

Bone and teeth problems

Toxic potassium is a solvent that antagonizes or opposes calcium in the body. As a result, it interferes with bone health.

Cancer

Toxic potassium compounds may interfere with cell respiration and may be a factor in the current epidemic of cancer around the world.

Heart problems

Potassium is essential for the heart. The toxic forms of potassium do not nourish the heart well, and may contribute to the epidemic of heart disease around the world, and especially in the Western nations that have the most industrialized agriculture.

Hypoglycemia and Diabetes

Toxic potassium in the adrenal glands and pancreas interferes with the ability of the body to regulate the blood sugar level.

Memory impairment and other neurological effects. Toxic potassium residue in the body is a contributor to the epidemic of dementia, brain fog and other neurological problems that are so common today.

Cooling and expansive effects

Toxic forms of potassium are more cooling or yin in macrobiotic and Chinese medical terminology and contribute to what we call Yin Disease. This is a common and serious imbalance in most human, animal and plant bodies today.

Its cause is poor nutrition combined with environmental contamination with toxic metals, toxic chemicals, ionizing radiation and radio and microwave radiation from cell phone towers, computers and other sources.

Irritating and a stimulant

Toxic potassium can be in an oxide form. This form, in particular, is very irritating to plant and animal tissues. It causes oxidant damage.

Many doctors give people anti-oxidants to combat this problem. A far better answer, in our view, is to eliminate the toxic potassium that is the real cause of the oxidant damage. This is more work, but has many other benefits for health.

TOXIC POTASSIUM ELIMINATION

A mineral and nutritional balancing program is one of the only ways we know of to eliminate toxic potassium from the body. The elimination occurs automatically if one follows this kind of program. It usually begins several months to a few years after one begins the program, regardless of one’s age.

ELIMINATION SYMPTOMS

The body eliminates toxic potassium mainly through the skin and hair. The most common effect is the oxidation rate increases. Many people temporarily move from slow oxidation into fast oxidation. Both the sodium and potassium levels rise and the calcium and magnesium levels often decline.

This can cause anxiety, irritability, mind racing, sleep difficulty and other problems of fast oxidation. If one is on a slow oxidizer development program, it may need to be changed to a fast oxidizer diet and supplement program until the toxic potassium is fully eliminated.

TOXIC POTASSIUM ON A HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS

Principles.

1. One cannot tell from a standard hair mineral analysis which form of potassium is present in the hair or other body tissues.

2. An elimination of toxic potassium through the skin and hair will elevate the potassium level on a hair mineral test. Often, the sodium level rises, as well. At times, a person may temporarily move into fast oxidation.

3. By raising the potassium level, an elimination of toxic potassium can lower the sodium/potassium ratio on a hair test, at times dramatically. This may be the only indicator that an elimination of toxic potassium is occurring.

One indicator that a lower sodium/potassium ratio is due to a elimination of toxic potassium is that the person (or animal) will have fewer or none of the usual symptoms associated with such a low sodium/potassium ratio. These include fatigue, blood sugar problems, or chronic infections.

For info on Hair Mineral Analysis