How much potassium is in banana?
Banana has 422 mg of potassium per 1 medium (118 g) — about 9% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value. That's 358 mg per 100 g, roughly 1× a medium banana (~422 mg).
USDA FoodData Central · raw · FDC 173944
Potassium by portion
| Portion | Potassium | % DV | Sodium | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (118 g) | 422 mg | 9% | 1 mg | 105 |
| 100 g | 358 mg | 8% | 1 mg | 89 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 101 mg | 2% | 0 mg | 25 |
% DV against the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 mg of potassium. Whole foods are naturally potassium-rich and low in sodium — the ratio heart guidelines (like DASH) favor. Values from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 173944, SR Legacy). raw.
The banana is the food everyone names for potassium, and the number is honestly solid: one medium banana (118 g) carries about 422 mg of potassium — roughly 9% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value — which is 358 mg per 100 g. With essentially no sodium (about 1 mg) and its own wrapper, it’s a genuinely good, grab-and-go potassium source, which is exactly how it earned the reputation. This page is also the baseline the rest of the lane measures against: when a potato is “2.3× a banana” or a sweet potato “1.5× a banana,” this ~422 mg is the yardstick. But here’s the honest twist — the banana is the famous one, not the highest.
Why potassium is the blood-pressure mineral
Potassium’s main claim is blood pressure. It acts as the counterweight to sodium — helping the kidneys flush excess sodium and relaxing the walls of your blood vessels — and that sodium-to-potassium balance is the heart of the DASH eating pattern. It also keeps fluid balance steady, carries nerve signals, and powers muscle contraction, which is why athletes reach for bananas against cramps. The real-world issue for most people isn’t too much potassium; it’s not enough — diets tend to run high in sodium and well below the 4,700 mg target — so a low-sodium, potassium-carrying snack like a banana genuinely helps.
A real source — but not the top of the list
Set the banana honestly against the field. Its ~422 mg is a good amount, but a medium baked potato (~951 mg) more than doubles it, a sweet potato (~618 mg) beats it, and a whole avocado (~660 mg) edges past it too. So the banana is the right benchmark and a perfectly good source — just not the king. Where it wins is convenience and that clean potassium-rich, near-zero-sodium profile: no prep, no salt, instant energy, and a useful potassium hit, which is why it’s the classic pre- or post-workout fruit. The practical takeaway is to treat the banana as one easy contributor toward 4,700 mg, not the whole plan — rotate in potatoes, leafy greens, beans, and avocado to actually get there.
One brief, non-medical note: people with kidney disease are sometimes advised to limit potassium, since impaired kidneys can’t clear the surplus — for them, even potassium-rich fruit is best discussed with a clinician. For everyone else, see protein in banana for the rest of its nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much potassium is in a banana?
About 422 mg of potassium in one medium banana (118 g), which is 358 mg per 100 g (USDA FDC 173944). It's a real, solid source with essentially no sodium — about 1 mg — which is why the banana became the go-to potassium reference.
What percent of the Daily Value is that?
Roughly 9% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value for potassium in one medium banana. Useful, but it means a single banana covers under a tenth of the day — the '4,700 mg' target takes a variety of foods, not bananas alone.
Is a banana the highest-potassium food?
No — and this surprises people. A banana's ~422 mg is a genuinely good amount, but a baked potato (~951 mg) more than doubles it, a sweet potato (~618 mg) beats it, and a whole avocado (~660 mg) tops it too. The banana is the famous benchmark, not the champion.
Why does potassium matter?
Potassium helps regulate blood pressure by balancing sodium and relaxing blood vessel walls — the basis of the DASH eating pattern — and supports fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle function, which is the link to cramp prevention. Most people get too much sodium and too little potassium, so potassium-rich whole foods help rebalance that ratio. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Does a riper or bigger banana have more potassium?
Mostly it tracks with size — a large banana carries more total potassium than a small one simply because there's more of it. Ripeness changes the starch-to-sugar balance more than the potassium, so the gram weight is what really moves the number.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 173944 (Bananas, raw; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). High-potassium diets aren't for everyone — people with kidney disease are often told to limit it; this is reference data, not medical advice. See our methodology.