Potassium?

[JerryK]

Anyone know if low potassium is consistent with celiac disease? It's one of the things the docs

have pointed out to me a few times. "Gee your potassium is kinda low". Of course they

never offer up any explanation for it....

[Ursa Major]

Yep, low potassium is very common. I had very low potassium last summer. I fixed it by eating lots of watermelon (right, it has about three times as much potassium as bananas), because I couldn't tolerate supplements then.

Potassium is one of the electrolytes, which get out of whack when you have diarrhea. And if you have chronic diarrhea, it would be surprising if your potassium level wouldn't be low as a result!

[jerseyangel]

One thing that can cause this is the use of a diuretic--those are sometimes used for treating high blood pressure and other conditions. Foods that are high in potassium are potatoes, oranges and bananas. Celiac causes malabsorbsion which can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

[Nancym]

You can use some salt substitute (which is made from potassium) to get a nice source of extra potassium in your diet.