**9. Potassium in human health and food consumed**

K is an essential mineral nutrient for humans because of its important physiological role in conducting electrical impulses in nerve tissue, electrolyte balance of body fluids, and blood pressure control. Ingestion of food of plant origin (i.e., vegetables, grains, cereals, etc.) and animal (i.e., meat, milk, eggs, etc.) are the main sources of K in human food. However, the process of cooking, the increased consumption of processed foods, and the decreased consumption of vegetables and fruits implied a reduction in K intake by the population [95].

health. In this sense, the cultivation of vegetables under environmental conditions adequate to the development of plants (i.e., phytosanitary management, optimal conditions of temperature, humidity, and luminosity) together with balanced nutrition in K are important factors that contribute to obtaining of foods with nutritional quality. The need for ingestion of foods rich in K and compounds with nutraceutical properties whose production by plant is directly or indirectly influenced by K such as lycopene and vitamin C in tomatoes is taken into account. In addition, knowing the main biotic and abiotic stresses that can be mitigated by potassium nutrition constitutes an interesting strategy for cultivation and production of vegetables. Therefore, this chapter is proposed as additional information about the tool importance of potassium nutrition in the hydroponic and food safety context to be consulted by students, teachers, and researchers. Considering a modern world and the increase of food consumption processed, these foods still being poor in K foods have contributed to the emergence of

Potassium Nutrition in Fruits and Vegetables and Food Safety through Hydroponic System

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71742

37

The authors thank the Plant Nutrition Study Group (GenPlant) of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, led by Professor Renato de Mello

, Guilherme Felisberto1

,

\*, Renato de Mello Prado1

1 Department of Soils and Fertilizers, Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Plant Nutrition Study Group-GenPlant, University State of São Paulo "Júlio de Mesquita Filho",

[1] Rawashdeh RA, Maxwell P. Analysing the world potash industry. Resources Policy.

[2] Ciceri D, Manning DAC. A Allanore. Historical and technical developments of potas-

[3] Marschner H, editor. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3nd ed. London: Elsevier; 2012.

sium resources. Science of the Total Environment. 2015;**502**:590-601

2 Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary

and Rafael Ferreira Barreto1

diseases related to low intakes of this nutrient.

\*Address all correspondence to: fjrc@bol.com.br

Sciences, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil

**Acknowledgements**

Prado.

**Author details**

Águila Silva Santos2

São Paulo, Brazil

**References**

643p

2014;**41**:143-151

Flávio José Rodrigues Cruz1

**Figure 5.** Average potassium content green stuff leafy. Source: [97].


**Table 2.** Reference values for human potassium intake based on age and pregnancy.

A set of clinical and experimental evidence shows the reduction in K intake that is associated with the emergence of various chronic diseases such as hypertension or high blood pressure, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and demineralization of bones [95, 96] Thus, the consumption of foods of vegetable origin rich in K as a way to increase K intake and reduce the emergence of diseases associated with malnutrition relative to K intake is recommended. For this, there are several vegetables with varying levels of K in its edible parts (**Figure 5**), whose consumption associated with other food sources can supply the daily need for K intake based on age, sex, and gestation (**Table 2**).

#### **10. Conclusions and future perspectives**

This chapter approached the main aspects of potassium nutrition of vegetables and food safety, emphasizing potassium in the context of plant physiology, post-harvest physiology, and human health. In this sense, the cultivation of vegetables under environmental conditions adequate to the development of plants (i.e., phytosanitary management, optimal conditions of temperature, humidity, and luminosity) together with balanced nutrition in K are important factors that contribute to obtaining of foods with nutritional quality. The need for ingestion of foods rich in K and compounds with nutraceutical properties whose production by plant is directly or indirectly influenced by K such as lycopene and vitamin C in tomatoes is taken into account.

In addition, knowing the main biotic and abiotic stresses that can be mitigated by potassium nutrition constitutes an interesting strategy for cultivation and production of vegetables. Therefore, this chapter is proposed as additional information about the tool importance of potassium nutrition in the hydroponic and food safety context to be consulted by students, teachers, and researchers. Considering a modern world and the increase of food consumption processed, these foods still being poor in K foods have contributed to the emergence of diseases related to low intakes of this nutrient.
