Arthritis Treatment with Potassium

Evidence from individual case histories that I have seen myself and the known characteristics of potassium physiology supports the proposal that arthritis is either a potassium deficiency or that a deficiency is its most important symptom. The replete body contains about 75 times as much potassium or more as is usually in the processed diet, so if it is increased, it will still take quite awhile to come up to normal if it as much as 30% low. However there should be satisfying initial results in a month or two or even less if the other nutrition is adequate, especially magnesium [Kremer][Schoner] and maybe inositol [Charalampous] and probably less time yet if potassium is taken as the chloride (the chloride is probably not a good idea if you have high blood pressure or suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or CFIDS).

I have been almost alone in proposing potassium as being central to rheumatoid arthritis (but see Dr. Jan de Vries' article). . Also Das has recently suggested that glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) therapy might suppress tumor necrosis (TNF) which is thought to produce some of the symptoms of arthritis [Das]. However there is no substitute for an experiment, which has never been reported in a journal, since scientists are specialized and sometimes have trouble being interested in simple approaches, as are their funding agencies. A doctor has reported to me that potassium and magnesium had inconclusive results, but it is possible that the subjects had osteoarthritis or chronic fatigue syndrome so I am unwilling to accept this as negative evidence yet. While you are waiting patiently for such an experiment there is nothing stopping you from eating nutritious food and making sure you do not lose any of the potassium by your own preparations. I am virtually certain that you will be healthier and will certainly have less risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and kidney stones. I wish you good health.

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