Potassium
Of 12,185 on-market potassium products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 99 elemental mg, and 70.1% list unspecified/undisclosed form as the primary form.
Form share
Of 11,188 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Potassium on the market today.
| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| unspecified/undisclosed form | Unrated | 7,843 | 70.1% |
| Potassium Citrate | Tier 1 | 1,232 | 11.0% |
| Potassium Chloride | Tier 1 | 1,232 | 11.0% |
| Potassium Bicarbonate | Tier 1 | 332 | 3.0% |
| Potassium Aspartate | Tier 2 | 310 | 2.8% |
| Potassium Gluconate | Tier 2 | 239 | 2.1% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (elemental mg), among 10,999 products with a disclosed amount, against the RDA of 3400.
- 90.0% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (312 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 1.5% of products don't disclose an amount because Potassium is declared inside a proprietary blend.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Forms explained
Label discloses only "Potassium" with no salt form (largest bucket, ~10,901 rows).
Elemental fraction: 52.4% (KCl, MW 74.55)
Standard reference form used in essentially all major clinical hypokalemia/blood-pressure trials.
Source: Whelton PK et al. 1997, JAMA 277(20):1624-32, PMID 9168293
Elemental fraction: 36.2% (K3C6H5O7 x H2O, monohydrate (standard USP form, MW 324.41; anhydrous at 0.383 also exists))
Reported bioequivalent in absorption to potassium chloride; preferred clinically for kidney-stone prevention/urinary alkalinization rather than for an absorption advantage.
Source: uncertain -- needs review for exact primary comparative-PK source
Elemental fraction: 39.1% (KHCO3, anhydrous (no commercial hydrate))
Used at doses shown to reduce urinary calcium excretion and bone-resorption markers in older adults, implying good systemic delivery (not a head-to-head absorption comparison).
Source: Sebastian A et al., PMID 18940881
Elemental fraction: 16.7% (K(C6H11O7), MW 234.26)
No dedicated comparative bioavailability citation located; assumed acceptable as a simple soluble monovalent salt.
Source: uncertain -- needs review
Elemental fraction: 22.8% (Monopotassium L-aspartate, C4H6KNO4, MW 171.19, CAS 1115-63-5 (cross-checked against a commercial 99mg-K-per-450mg-capsule label claim, consistent with this stoichiometry))
No dedicated comparative bioavailability study located; assumed acceptable given the label cross-check.
Source: uncertain -- needs review
Reference values
- RDA (adult): 3400 elemental mg — Adequate Intake (2019 NASEM revision, supersedes the older 4700mg figure): 3400mg (men); 2600mg (women)
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — Not established for apparently healthy individuals (risk remains in renal impairment)
- Studied clinical dose range: 1560–4700 mg
- Whelton PK et al. 1997, JAMA 277(20):1624-32, PMID 9168293 -- meta-analysis of 33 RCTs (n=2,609); pooled ~-3.1mmHg systolic/-2.0mmHg diastolic BP reduction, larger in high-sodium-intake and hypertensive subgroups. Dose range reflects the commonly-cited trial range (40-120 mmol/day); not independently confirmed against the full paper's per-trial dose breakdown.
- Note: studied_dose_high uses the older, pre-2019 AI figure (4700mg) as the top of the commonly-cited trial range; treat as approximate.