Daily Potassium Needs Calculator
Estimate your adequate intake (AI) of potassium from sex and life stage, and see how it compares to a banana.
How it works
Adequate Intake by sex/life stage (NASEM 2019): 3400 mg adult men · 2600 mg adult women · a medium banana ≈ 422 mg
Potassium has an Adequate Intake rather than an RDA because there is not enough data to set a formal requirement. It works with sodium to control blood pressure, and most people fall well short of the target — the average diet is heavy in sodium and light in the fruit, vegetables, beans and dairy that supply potassium. There is no upper limit from food for healthy people, but those with kidney disease or on certain blood-pressure drugs must limit potassium and should follow medical guidance.
Worked example
An adult man has an AI of 3400 mg/day. At about 422 mg per banana that is roughly 8 bananas — a reminder that meeting the target realistically means potatoes, beans, spinach and yogurt, not fruit alone.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no RDA for potassium?
The evidence was judged insufficient to set a Recommended Dietary Allowance, so an Adequate Intake is used instead — a value expected to cover the needs of most healthy people.
Can I get too much potassium?
Not from food for people with healthy kidneys. But supplements and salt substitutes can push levels dangerously high in people with kidney disease or on ACE inhibitors, ARBs or potassium-sparing diuretics.
Which foods are richest in potassium?
Potatoes, beans and lentils, spinach, avocado, yogurt, salmon and dried fruit often beat bananas gram for gram.
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Educational estimate only — not medical or dietary advice. Nutrient reference values are population averages; your individual needs may differ with medical conditions, medications, pregnancy or activity. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before making changes.