The potassium content of foods is probably the most frequently asked question, especially for people affected by chronic kidney disease.
The main concern is the high content of potassium that certain types of foods have, and if consumed by people who have to follow a low potassium diet can create side effects on the correct working of kidneys in the patient.
Fish and fruits, and vegetables contain most of the potassium that we assume daily. We already discuss the potassium content of many foods, but what about salmon, is salmon rich in potassium? Do salmon have potassium?
If you have hypokalemia or potassium deficiency, with a high possibility, your doctors have suggested you consume fish that contains more potassium. Well, salmon can be considered one of those.
Anyway, it is important to take into consideration that different types of salmon may make varying their potassium content of them, for that reason, in the next part of the article, we will explore the potassium content of salmon, taking into consideration the different modalities of preparing and as well the different species present.
Potassium content of salmon by type
There are six different types of salmon that humans can consume. Some of those may contain more potassium than others, and the choice of salmon to prepare will depend on your health condition and the potassium amount you need to integrate into your diet.
Atlantic salmon potassium
The Atlantic salmon is a species of salmon found in saltwater and freshwater. Fishing and commercial Atlantic salmon are prohibited in the USA.
Chinook Salmon potassium
The chinook salmon is the largest pacific salmon species and the most important type of fish used during the sport fishing competition in Alaska. In addition, Chinook salmon is considered premium salmon, and it is primarily used in cuisine all around the USA.
Chum Salmon potassium
If the name chum salmon does not sound familiar to you, with a high possibility, you have heard them called with the name dog salmon or keta salmon.
It is a fish belonging to the pacific area, and its commercial value is not as high as other types of salmon.
Coho Salmon potassium
If you live in the pacific area, with a high probability of chance, you have heard them also with the name silver salmon.
Coho salmon is a species of pacific salmon larger findable in the pacific area, more precisely Japan, Bering and Alaska.
The uses of coho salmon are mainly two: consumed in dishes and caught during sport fish competition. Among the other species of salmon, the silver salmon contain the most potassium amount, which is not particularly good for people that have to follow a low potassium diet.
Pink salmon potassium
Pink salmon is part of the most abundant species of salmon and the smallest among the salmon family. Therefore, its modest potassium content may be a good choice for people who consume low potassium foods.
Sockeye Salmon potassium
The Sockeye Salmon, also known by the name red salmon, is a species of the salmon family that live in the pacific area.
Sockeye Salmon is caught mainly in the Alaska zone, and each year millions of tons of red salmon are caught and canned to be sold in all of America.
Red salmon contains a modest amount of potassium compared with other salmon species, making it perfectly suitable for people following a kidney-friendly diet.
Is smoked salmon high in potassium?
Smoked salmon can be considered one of the most known and loved varieties of salmon. Smoked salmon is one of the most common ways utilized for preparing salmon.
Smoked salmon is usually sold at a high price tag, due mainly to its preparation process that involves many passages and works from the producers.
Smoked salmon is a good source of omega-3. Still, due to its high sodium content, 660 mg of sodium for a slice of 85g, its consumption by people with kidney disease may increase blood pressure, making not working the kidneys correctly from a person affected by kidneys failures.
The high value of sodium in smoked salmon is due to the addition of salt during the preparation phase. Although the values of smoked salmon show a low potassium amount, the rich amount of sodium makes the smoked salmon not a good fish to be consumed by people that have to follow a low potassium diet.
Is canned salmon high in potassium?
If you don’t have the possibility of purchasing fresh salmon, the market gives you the possibility of buying salmon in canned form. Canned salmon is a good solution for those that don’t have the time to prepare it, and at the same time, they want to eat healthily.
Anyway, it is important to evaluate that the salt content of canned salmon will be higher than the fresh version of it and that the consumption by people suffering from kidney disease may create side effects on their health.
Is grilled salmon high in potassium?
Grilled salmon represent the most famous way of cooking salmon. The taste of grilled salmon goes behind any other way of preparation of it.
For people with kidney failure, consuming foods not rich in potassium is probably the priority they need to follow. Therefore, it is important to evaluate that the amount of potassium for a serving of 100g of grilled salmon will be higher than other variants of preparing it.
Farm-raised salmon potassium vs wild salmon
Side dish that goes well with salmon ( Low potassium diet)
Suppose you follow a low potassium diet and you wuold like to integrate vegetables into your salmon dish. In that case, you have to consider that some vegetables may contain high potassium. In contrast, asparagus or broccoli with salmon can be easily integrated without altering or increasing the potassium amount.
Final thoughts
Salmon is a healthy dish rich in omega-three and other essential nutrients for our health. Regarding the potassium content, it is important to consider that the species of salmon that you will choose may vary the potassium content. Integrating salmon may be the perfect solution for those who consume more potassium since salmon is a fish rich in potassium.
