Q: What can potassium do for your hands?
Lori S., Ankeny, Iowa

A: Potassium regulates the transfer of nutrients into cells and facilitates muscle energy - very important for hand strength. Potassium also regulates water balance and aids rheumatic or arthritic conditions by causing acids to leave the joints and ease stiffness. You can get your potassium by eating lots of produce - bananas, orange juice, dried dates, and apricots. You may have heard as a kid that banana consumption helps sweaty palms; this is untrue. While potassium is great for maintaining healthy water balances in the body, sweaty palms or "Palmer Hyperhidrosis" is a genetic medical condition caused by a slight abnormality of the autonomic nervous system.

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