Potassium is a mineral with fundamentally important physiological functions in the body. However, typical diets in the U.S. and other industrialized countries often provide less than adequate amounts of potassium. Potassium is of great physiological importance, contributing to the transmission of nerve impulses, the control of skeletal muscle contractility, and to the healthy maintenance of already normal blood pressure. Potassium is generally well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and the kidneys regulate total body potassium by controlling urinary potassium excretion.