By: Maggie M and Katie P

How we started We first started researching what the main minerals in medicines were. We were researching 3 different medicines. A pain relief, an allergy relief, and a cold relief medicine. While we were researching medicines, we realized that we did not want to do this. We were bored and realized that the reason of the GROW project is to research something we are interested in and grow from there. So after many different questions we decided to stop researching medicine and instead research about the topic Potassium.

Where our research led us Once we decided to research Potassium, our starting question was what it does for our bodies. Researching the main functions of potassium led us to how it prevents muscle cramps. Once we started researching muscle cramps we got into foods. We starting researching foods that would prevent muscle cramps. Once we started looking up different foods we decided to focus more on our diet. We decided to research three different foods/drinks that were high in potassium and how they were good for you.

Assumptions Before we started researching and learned anything about potassium we had some assumptions. Some assumptions we had were Bananas are the food with the highest potassium level. Potassium helps with muscle cramps. Eating bananas gets rid of muscle cramps. Your body can produce potassium.

Starting our research To start our research we looked up what potassium is and what its main functions are.

Potassium Potassium is a mineral that can also be called an electrolyte. An electrolyte conducts electrical impulses throughout the body. Potassium regulates water and mineral balance throughout the body. It also keeps your nervous system and your muscles functioning properly. Potassium lowers blood pressure and helps prevent osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition when the bones become fragile. Potassium can also help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is important to make sure you are getting the perfect amount of potassium in your body. Not to much and not to little!

Potassium The number of milligrams of potassium one needs varies. It varies by age group. Under 6 months – 400 milligrams a day 7 – 12 months – 700 milligrams a day 1 – 3 years – 3,000 milligrams a day 4 – 8 years – 3,800 milligrams a day 9 – 13 years – 4,500 milligrams a day 14 and up – 4,700 milligrams a day The number of milligrams you need is different for pregnant women and women that are breastfeeding.

Muscle Cramps Muscle cramps are not fun! They can make you feel weak and prevent you from doing things. Muscle cramps usually occur when you are working out. They usually occur because of a loss of electrolytes or dehydration. You lose electrolytes while you are sweating. One of the electrolytes you lose is potassium. Once your potassium level is low your muscles can feel weak and may cramp up. Potassium on its own does not cause or stop cramping, but is very important for keeping your electrolytes balanced.

Preventing muscle cramps Making sure that your electrolyte balance is maintained and making sure you are hydrated will help prevent muscle cramps. To make sure your electrolyte balance is even, you must have potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium in your body. To get these minerals in your body we suggest eating lots of fruits and vegetables like bananas and oranges! Making sure your body is hydrated is also important when preventing muscle cramps. After researching we suggest that you drink at LEAST six 8-ounce glasses of water a day!

Foods After researching more about muscle cramps and ways to prevent them, we grew into researching foods. We researched foods high in potassium and grew from there.

Foods & Drinks There are a lot of foods and drinks that are high in potassium. Some foods that have over 550 milligrams are sweet potatoes, tomato paste, beet greens, potatoes, white beans, and yogurt. These 6 foods rank the highest in potassium. Some foods under 55o milligrams are clams, soybeans, winter squash, bananas, and orange juice. There are many more foods with potassium.

Foods Once we saw how many different foods had high levels of potassium we decided to research 3 different foods. The food with the highest level of potassium – sweet potatoes. The most commonly known food with potassium – bananas. And finally a drink that we did not know had potassium in it – milk.

Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are the food with the highest level of potassium! 1 baked sweet potato or 146 grams of sweet potato have 694 milligrams of potassium in it. Sweet potatoes help regulate your heartbeat because of the potassium in them. They also contain other minerals like manganese and magnesium. The manganese in sweet potatoes helps maintains a healthy blood sugar. The magnesium in them helps lower stress levels. The magnesium calms you and helps artery and muscle health.

Bananas They may not be the highest food with potassium, but bananas have many health benefits. One medium banana (7 in. to in) has 422 milligrams of potassium. Because of there high potassium level and low sodium level they help protect your heart. They help protect your heart by preventing a high blood pressure. Bananas also can protect your eyes. They have a small amount of Vitamin A that helps maintain a normal vision and increase night vision. Even though bananas are so good for you, because of the amino acids in them eating to many can give you headaches.

Milk While milk is mainly know for calcium, it is also a source for potassium. 1 cup or 245 grams of non–fat milk contains 382 milligrams of potassium. Non-fat cows milk is highest in potassium. Milk helps strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It also contains most nutrients that you need. For example, it has fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and a variety of minerals. It also can help reduce the risk of poor blood flow and a stroke. Milk also has some negatives, like the fact that it has no iron. This can affect a persons ability to absorb iron in there body.

Suggestions & Choices After doing our research we have many suggestions. 1. If you have a history of kidney stones, we suggest not eating to many sweet potatoes because of the oxalate in them, which contributes to forming kidney stones. 2. White beans are the beans with the highest level of potassium, we suggest eating this type of bean. 3. Eating a banana before you work out can help your potassium level and help your body function easier. 4. Drink something with electrolytes, like a sports drink to help prevent muscle cramps while exercising. 5. Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes? Sweet potatoes have a higher level of potassium and are healthier for you. 6. Tomato or Tomato Sauce? ½ cup of tomato sauce has 52 more milligrams of potassium than 1 cup or 149 grams of tomatoes.

Obstacles The GROW project brought us many obstacles. We had a very hard time deciding on a topic. We think that we were to busy trying to see how our question could grow instead of letting our curiosity change it by itself. Before we would start researching something we would already be thinking of ways to change the question and make it grow. We also had a hard time checking if a source was credible. We would find something on one site and the opposite on another. We fixed this by making sure to find two sites that supported the same thing.

How our assumptions changed Some of our assumptions were wrong. We learned that bananas are not the food with the highest potassium levels, but sweet potatoes are. We also found out that bananas are not the only food to prevent muscle cramps, but all foods with potassium can help. We also learned that potassium can not be produced naturally by your body, but you have to get it from foods or vitamins.

Where this took us Learning about potassium was very interesting. We found out how it helps our health. How it prevents things in your body and why we need it. We also got to research foods that had potassium and how much potassium we needed in our bodies. Even though we learned a lot through this project we still have some questions that we would like to know.

More Questions While we were researching we came across more questions that made us curious, like - 1. What health benefits does magnesium provide for your body? 2. How do you find how much potassium is in a certain food? 3. Why does goats milk have more potassium then cows milk? 4. When you cook a food does that affect the potassium level it has when it is raw? 5. Why are some people lactose intolerant?

Bibliography "15 Foods That Are High In Potassium." Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "9 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes." 9 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "Nutrition and Healthy Eating." Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day? N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "Potassium Supplements: Benefits, Potassium Deficiency, Dosage, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Mar Szalay, By Jessie. "Bananas: Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 29 Sept Web. 29 Mar Szalay, By Jessie. "Sweet Potatoes: Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 22 Oct Web. 29 Mar "Top 10 Pros and Cons - Milk - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015"Bodybuilding.com - How Can You Prevent Muscle Cramps?" Bodybuilding.com - How Can You Prevent Muscle Cramps? N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "5 Key Nutrients You're Probably Not Getting Enough of." Greatist. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "Learn the Connection between Diet and Muscle Cramping." Human-kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar "What Happens to Your Body When You Don't Get Enough Potassium?" Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar