DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read that our daily potassium need is 3,500 mg to 4,500 mg. Supplements provide only 90 mg. How can we get the daily recommended amount? – B.C.

ANSWER: If you eat a varied diet, you don’t have to worry about getting enough potassium. It’s everywhere. Vegetables and fruits are good sources. Here are some examples (the amounts are 1 cup unless otherwise specified, and the numbers are in milligrams): white beans, 1,000; lima beans, 950; a baked potato with skin, 800; a sweet potato, 700; Brussels sprouts, 250; an orange, 250; orange juice, 500; a banana, 470; grapefruit juice, 400; grapes, 176; an apple, 160; a cup of milk, 380.

Three ounces of ground beef has 300 mg; 4 ounces of pork, 400; 6 ounces of ham, 170. A cup of coffee has 171.

The actual daily recommendation is 4,700 mg. You don’t need a supplement to reach it.

The booklet on electrolytes, sodium, potassium and chloride explains these minerals in detail. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 202, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-64765. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a positive ANA test. Further blood work has been ordered. Will you address this, please? – K.M.

ANSWER: Antibodies are the body’s bullets directed against foreign invaders, including germs. ANA is antinuclear antibody, an antibody aimed at the nucleus of body cells. It doesn’t appear to actually damage the cells’ nucleus, but it can be a sign of an illness like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and others. Sometimes, prescription drugs cause the production of ANA.

Five percent of perfectly normal people also have positive ANA.

If you have no signs or symptoms of illness and if there are no other lab tests that point to an illness, your positive test may be just a fluke.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: When articles put stress on people to get a flu shot, why isn’t the public informed of the downside of those shots? When my brother turned 60, his wife, a nurse, encouraged him to get a flu shot. He did, and in less than 24 hours, he was in the hospital, paralyzed from the cheekbones down. He stayed in intensive care for six weeks and in the hospital for four months. Today he still has no feeling in his feet. In the hospital at the same time were eight other people with the same problem. Your comments would be appreciated. – F.T.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: The enclosed Internet article stopped me from getting a flu shot. Please comment. – W.F.

ANSWER: Did your brother get the flu shot in 1976? That was the year when swine flu was predicted to be a threat, and the virus causing swine flu was included in the flu vaccine for that year. In the same year, there was an increase in the number of people with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralyzing illness. Most people make a complete recovery from it. It’s fatal for a few. The increased number of GB patients was linked to the flu vaccine. Since that time, the incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome has been no greater in those getting the flu vaccine than it has been in those not getting it.

A flu shot can cause a serious reaction called anaphylaxis. It’s a critical allergic reaction that brings about a blood pressure drop and labored breathing. It is a possible death threat. However, most people can be treated successfully. This happens to people who are allergic to eggs. The flu vaccine is grown in eggs, so people with egg allergy should not have a flu shot.

Consider the other side of the issue. In the United States, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized every year for the flu. Somewhere between 36,000 and 70,000 die from it yearly, and most of them are older people. That has got to be strong evidence for the value of flu vaccine.

W.F.’s Internet information said that flu vaccine was linked to Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t believe that for a minute.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Having had kidney stones, I was interested in your article on them. I have a few questions.

1. Does drinking milk lessen the chances of stones?

2. What do you mean when you say potassium has the opposite effect of sodium? Are potassium-rich foods good?

3. Should we eat less salt, sugar and meat? – W.

ANSWER: The discussion was on calcium oxalate kidney stones, the most common variety.

Calcium foods do not promote calcium stone formation, and they might even prevent it. Drinking milk is perfectly OK and might stop stone recurrence.

Sodium (table salt) encourages calcium loss into the urine and, therefore, the formation of stones. Potassium does the opposite. Potassium-rich foods are a preventative for stones.

Sugar, meat and salt favor stone formation. Yes, eat less of all three.

The most helpful step in stone prevention is drinking lots of fluids, enough so that your urine stays colorless.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com

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