Potassium: which number on the label is the potassium

Chloride, citrate or gluconate

Potassium reaches a tablet as a compound, and several are in ordinary use. The ingredients list names which one.

Each compound carries a different proportion of potassium by weight, so the compound figure and the nutrient figure diverge, sometimes sharply.

• Potassium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium gluconate and potassium bicarbonate all appear on labels.
• The compound belongs to the ingredients list.
• The elemental potassium belongs to the nutrient panel.

Elemental potassium is the comparable figure

The panel row headed potassium already expresses elemental potassium per stated portion. Carry that number across to another label, never the compound weight.

A front of pack figure in large type is worth tracing back to the panel before you read it as the nutrient amount.

What the NRV percentage adds

The nutrient reference value is a fixed reference number per nutrient, set in law, and the percentage states the portion against it.

Since it is derived from the elemental amount, it compares a chloride product and a citrate product without any conversion on your part.

Tablet count against portion count

This pack is listed as 90 tablets. That counts tablets in the bottle and nothing else.

Portions per pack depend entirely on the stated portion, and only that figure makes cost per portion meaningful.

Where to look, in order

Working through a potassium pack in a fixed order avoids most of the common mix ups.

• Nutrient panel: the potassium row and its unit.
• Panel heading: per tablet or per portion.
• NRV column: the percentage beside the amount.
• Ingredients list: the named compound and anything affecting suitability.

What the label tells you

The full ingredients list, the amount per portion, allergens, dietary suitability, directions and storage are printed on the pack.

Read the label before you take any supplement, and check the product page for the format, pack size and price before you buy.