What Potassium Citrate Does
Potassium citrate helps keep your muscles, your nervous system and your blood pressure working normally, supplying 99 mg of potassium from 310 mg of the citrate salt in each vegetarian capsule.
Those three are the benefits European guidance recognises for potassium, and they are recognised properly rather than loosely. Potassium is the mineral your cells use to hold their electrical charge, which is why the same nutrient turns up in muscle contraction, nerve signalling and the tone of your blood vessels all at once. Most people in Kenya get far less of it than they could, because it comes mainly from fruit, vegetables, beans and tubers.
What Is in Each Capsule
From NOW’s own panel, per capsule.
Potassium, 99 mg, from 310 mg of potassium citrate. Both numbers matter and they are easy to confuse. The 99 mg is the potassium itself; the 310 mg is the weight of the citrate salt carrying it. A capsule labelled only “99 mg” sounds smaller than it is.
Vegetarian throughout. Hypromellose capsule with microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable-source stearic acid and silicon dioxide. Nothing animal-derived and no GMO ingredients.
180 capsules in NOW’s bottle, which is the only size they make it in.
Why the Number Is 99 mg
This is the most useful thing to understand about any potassium supplement, and almost no listing explains it.
The 99 mg is a regulatory ceiling rather than a chosen dose. American rules require extra labelling on solid potassium supplements above 99 mg per tablet or capsule, so practically every potassium capsule on the world market stops at exactly 99 mg. The figure was arrived at for caution, not because 99 mg is the amount that does something.
That single fact explains the whole product. It is why the capsule is small relative to the 2,000 mg daily reference value for potassium, why NOW’s own suggested use runs from one capsule up to five, and why the dose is a conversation rather than a line on a label.
The Three Benefits, and the Dose They Need
We publish the arithmetic because it is the only way to choose honestly between potassium products.
The threshold is 300 mg of potassium a day. European guidance sets the nutrient reference value for potassium at 2,000 mg and requires 15% of it, which is 300 mg, before the muscle, nervous system and blood pressure benefits can be stated.
One capsule supplies 99 mg, which is 4.95% of the reference value. Four capsules supply 396 mg and clear the threshold. Three supply 297 mg and fall three milligrams short, which is a near miss worth knowing about rather than guessing at.
So the benefits belong to four capsules a day, not one. NOW’s suggested use allows one to five capsules daily with food, so four sits comfortably inside it. Please settle the number with our pharmacist rather than working it out from a label, for the reason in the next section.
Potassium and Your Medicines, Which Is a Conversation Worth Having
We would rather raise this plainly than leave it in a footnote, because the people most interested in potassium are the people for whom it needs most care.
Several very common blood pressure medicines raise your blood potassium on their own. That includes the ACE inhibitors such as enalapril and lisinopril, the ARBs such as losartan, valsartan and telmisartan, and potassium-sparing diuretics such as spironolactone and amiloride. Adding a potassium supplement on top of one of those is something a pharmacist should look at with your prescription in hand.
Your kidneys are what clear potassium from your blood. So kidney disease, reduced kidney function, and diabetes where the kidneys are involved all change the picture. NOW’s own label asks for a physician in exactly these situations: any medication that may affect kidney function or blood potassium levels, and any heart condition, kidney condition or diabetes.
This is why we would rather sell you this at the counter than at a checkout. Our pharmacist can read your prescription list in two minutes, and our doctor can arrange the blood test that settles it properly. Bring the list, and keep taking what you have been prescribed.
If what you actually want is help with muscle cramps or general muscle and nerve function, a chelated magnesium carries authorised claims for normal muscle function and the nervous system at a dose a single daily tablet reaches, and it leaves the medicines question below out of the picture. For your heart more generally, a high-strength fish oil concentrate clears the 250 mg of EPA and DHA that the authorised heart claim is set at.
How to Take It
NOW’s suggested use is one capsule, one to five times daily, preferably with food. Taking it with a meal is their instruction and it also settles the stomach, since the commonest complaint about any potassium salt is mild gastrointestinal discomfort.
At one capsule a day the 180-capsule bottle covers six months. At four a day, the amount the benefits are set at, it covers 45 days. Tell us which you are aiming at and we will work out the repeat with you.
Is Potassium Citrate Right for You?
- Please talk to us first if you take anything for your blood pressure. ACE inhibitors, ARBs and potassium-sparing diuretics all raise blood potassium by themselves. Bring the prescription to the counter and let our pharmacist see the whole list before you start.
- Please talk to our doctor first if you have a kidney condition, reduced kidney function, or diabetes. Your kidneys clear potassium, so this is the situation that most changes the right answer. It is on NOW’s own caution list for this product.
- Please talk to us first if you have a heart condition. NOW name it specifically, and so do we.
- Adults only, and ask us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. NOW’s label is adults only and asks for a physician in pregnancy and while nursing.
- If you are going above one capsule a day, make that a counter conversation. Four capsules is where the benefits begin and also where the questions above start to matter, which is exactly why we would rather you asked us than worked it out alone.
Where to Buy NOW Potassium Citrate in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At one to four capsules a day a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A potassium supplement like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your NOW Potassium Citrate from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will read your prescription list against this before you start, because several common blood pressure medicines raise blood potassium on their own. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does potassium citrate do?
European guidance recognises three things for potassium: it contributes to normal muscle function, to normal functioning of the nervous system, and to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. Potassium is the mineral your cells use to hold their electrical charge, which is why one nutrient covers muscle, nerve and blood vessel function at the same time.
Is it 99 mg of potassium or 99 mg of potassium citrate?
99 mg of potassium, from 310 mg of potassium citrate. The two figures are easy to confuse and the difference is a factor of three, so we publish both. The 99 mg is what counts towards your daily potassium.
How many capsules do I need for the benefits?
Four a day. The three benefits are set at 300 mg of potassium daily, which is 15% of the 2,000 mg reference value, and one capsule supplies 99 mg or just under 5%. Four capsules give 396 mg and clear it; three give 297 mg and fall three milligrams short. NOW’s suggested use allows one to five capsules daily with food, so four sits inside it — but please settle the number with our pharmacist first, for the reason in the next answer.
Can I take potassium with my blood pressure medicine?
Please speak to our pharmacist before you do. Several of the commonest blood pressure medicines raise your blood potassium by themselves — the ACE inhibitors such as enalapril and lisinopril, the ARBs such as losartan, valsartan and telmisartan, and potassium-sparing diuretics such as spironolactone and amiloride. Bring your prescription to the counter so we can see the whole list, and keep taking what you have been prescribed.
Why is every potassium capsule exactly 99 mg?
Because it is a regulatory ceiling rather than a chosen dose. American rules require extra labelling on solid potassium supplements above 99 mg per capsule, so almost every potassium capsule on the world market stops there. It explains why the capsule is small against a 2,000 mg daily reference value, and why NOW’s own suggested use runs up to five capsules.
Can I take it if I have kidney problems or diabetes?
Please talk to our doctor first. Your kidneys are what clear potassium from your blood, so reduced kidney function changes the answer, and diabetes can involve the kidneys. NOW’s own label names heart conditions, kidney conditions and diabetes specifically. This is the situation where the conversation matters most.
Will it help with muscle cramps?
There is no approved claim for cramps from potassium, only for contribution to normal muscle function, so we will not promise it. If cramps are what brought you here, a magnesium glycinate tablet carries approved claims for normal muscle function and the nervous system at a dose one tablet a day reaches, and it keeps you clear of the medicines question above. Our pharmacist can compare the two with you.
Are there side effects?
The common one is mild stomach discomfort, which is why NOW advise taking it with food. The one that matters more is a rise in blood potassium in people whose medicines or kidneys already push it up, and that is managed by having the conversation before you start rather than watching for symptoms afterwards.
How long does a bottle last?
NOW make it in one size, 180 capsules. At one capsule daily that is six months; at four a day, the amount the benefits are set at, it is 45 days.
Is it suitable for vegetarians?
Yes. The capsule is hypromellose and the other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable-source stearic acid and silicon dioxide. Nothing animal-derived, and no GMO ingredients.
Where can I buy potassium citrate in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown at the top of this listing. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. At one capsule a day the 180-capsule bottle covers six months, and at four a day it covers 45 days, so tell us which you are aiming at and we will work out the repeat.
