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Daily Potassium Target Calculator

See exactly how much potassium you should aim for each day.

How it is calculated

The tool looks up a fixed Adequate Intake value in mg per day from your age in years and sex (the 2019 NASEM table). Under 6 months: 400 mg. From 6 months to under 1 year: 860 mg. Ages 1 to 3: 2000. Ages 4 to 8: 2300. Ages 9 to 13: 2300 for females, 2500 for males. Ages 14 to 18: 2300 for females, 3000 for males. Age 19 and over: 2600 for females, 3400 for males. The form starts on male, so choose female where it applies. Grams are mg ÷ 1000, and the banana equivalent is mg ÷ 422, taking one medium banana as 422 mg. Ages above 120 or at zero give no result. The table has no separate values for pregnancy or breastfeeding, and other countries set other targets.

Worked example

A 34-year-old woman. Age 34 is 19 or over and the sex is female, so the Adequate Intake is 2,600 mg per day. In grams: 2600 ÷ 1000 = 2.60 g. Banana equivalent: 2600 ÷ 422 = 6.16, shown as 6.2x, meaning about six bananas' worth of potassium. For a man of the same age the table gives 3,400 mg, or 8.1 bananas.

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Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to switch the form to female. It starts on male, so the target shows 3,400 mg instead of 2,600 mg.
  • Reading an Adequate Intake as a requirement or a safe upper limit. It is an estimate of what healthy people typically need, not a ceiling.
  • Using the target when you have kidney disease or take potassium-affecting medicines. The tool does not adjust for these, and in such cases the intake may need to be limited.
  • Taking the banana figure literally. It is only a conversion at 422 mg per banana, and getting the same potassium from beans, potatoes or leafy greens is just as valid.
  • Entering months as the age for a baby. The age is in years, so an infant under one year should be typed as a decimal such as 0.5.

Sources

About this calculator

Recommended daily potassium intake is set as an Adequate Intake (AI) value by nutrition authorities such as the US National Academy of Medicine, which updated its guidance in 2019 to roughly 3,400 mg/day for adult men and 2,600 mg/day for adult women — lower than the long-cited older 4,700 mg figure — with AI values varying further by age group (and separate values applying during pregnancy or lactation). Potassium is an essential electrolyte involved in fluid balance, nerve signal transmission, and muscle contraction, including the heartbeat.

Dietitians and physicians reference potassium AI targets when counseling on blood pressure management, since adequate potassium intake is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced stroke risk, and when advising patients on kidney disease or certain blood pressure medications, where potassium intake may need to be more carefully monitored rather than simply maximized.

This calculator takes your age and sex and returns your recommended daily potassium target based on current Adequate Intake guidelines. It does not adjust for pregnancy or lactation, so if either applies, check the figure with your doctor or dietitian.

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