How Much Potassium in Coffee? Regular, Decaf, Instant, 6 Additives
Curious about potassium in coffee? We’ll break down the amount of potassium in coffee – regular, decaf, and instant. Plus the amount of potassium in 6 common coffee additives. We also compare coffee potassium versus other common foods.
An 8 oz. cup of black coffee contains around 116 mg of potassium. At just 2% of Daily Value, this is considered to be low in potassium. Decaf coffee has more potassium (around 216 mg) and instant coffee has less (around 96 mg). Coffee additives, like milk or sweeteners, can increase the potassium content.
Potassium levels in coffee are safe. But if you have certain health problems (like kidney disease) it’s important to regulate how much coffee you drink, as well as what you put into it.
Let’s take a look at potassium levels in different types of coffee and common coffee additives.
Potassium in Coffee
One 8oz cup of black coffee is going to contain about 116 mg of potassium. Increase to a 12 oz travel mug and you’ll consume 174 mg of potassium.
This is based on straight black coffee (brewed) with no additives. More on potassium levels in coffee additives below.
The type of coffee you’re drinking will affect nutrient levels. Here are the potassium levels in two other types of coffee.
Potassium in Decaf Coffee
Most decaf actually has a slightly higher potassium content than a regular cup. Decaf coffee has around 216 mg of potassium per brewed cup. According to Health Line, brewed coffee has 4.8% Daily Value of potassium.
While that isn’t much potassium, ordinary caffeinated coffee might still be better for you if you’re concerned about potassium intake.
Potassium in Instant Coffee
Instant coffee has about 96 mg of potassium per 8-ounce cup. This is less than regular brewed coffee and less than half of the potassium in decaf coffee.
This is based on 72 mg of potassium per 6 oz cup (180 ml) according to My Fitness Pal.
Why does instant coffee have less potassium? Because of the processing, instant coffee loses some of the nutrients.
How Much Potassium Can I Have?
An adult with fully functioning kidneys should consume roughly 4,500 mg of potassium each day. And this is not usually difficult to achieve on a normal diet.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the Adequate Intake of potassium ranges from 2,300 and 3,400 mg each day. This amount varies by gender and age.
However, for somebody suffering from renal (kidney) disease, a typical potassium-restricted diet will be about 2,000 mg, which can be difficult considering how many foods contain potassium.
Potassium in Coffee Vs Other Foods
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), foods that contain 20% Daily Value (DV) or higher are considered high. And foods with 5% DV or less, are considered low.
Here are the potassium levels of coffee compared with other common foods.
- Coffee (8 ounces): 2% DV 116 mg of potassium
- Banana (medium-sized): 9% DV. 422 mg of potassium
- Orange Juice (one cup): 11% DV. 496 mg of potassium
- Dried Apricots (half cup): 23% DV. 1,101 mg of potassium
Yogurt, tomatoes, milk, and raisins all contain more than double the amount of potassium in coffee.
In comparison to high potassium foods, coffee is actually considered a low source of potassium.
If you are concerned about your potassium levels, you should speak with a medical professional.
Potassium in 6 Coffee Additives
The potassium levels we’ve considered so far, are for brewed coffee served black.
Here are the potassium levels of common coffee additives, like milk, cream, CoffeeMate, sugar, and honey.
1. Milk
Many people like to add milk to their coffee, but milk has a surprisingly high potassium content. One cup of milk contains 366 mg of potassium, which is literally triple the amount of potassium in one cup of coffee!
Of course, it isn’t common to add a cup of milk to a single coffee.
Each individually packaged milk (11 ml) contains 17 mg of potassium.
If you add two milk (individually packaged, 11 ml) you would consume 34 mg of potassium.
Milk alternatives vary greatly in the amount of potassium. Soy milk in particular tends to have even more potassium than dairy milk, while rice milk usually has almost no potassium.
2. Coffee Cream
Creamers vary in their potassium content. Half-and-half cream contains 15 mg of potassium per creamer (0.38 fl oz / 11 ml).
This is based on 39.9 mg of potassium per fluid ounce (30 ml) of half-and-half cream.
Potassium won’t always show up on the nutritional information of a specific creamer, it will always be on the ingredient list if it is present. Make sure to read the ingredient list to see whether the creamer contains potassium or not.
3. Coffee Mate
According to Nestle, the Original Coffee Mate doesn’t contain potassium. Or any nutrients or minerals.
4. Granulated Sugar (White and Brown)
A teaspoon of sugar contains 5.6 mg of potassium. Add two teaspoons and you’ll consume 11.2 mg.
This is based on 100 grams of sugar containing 133 mg of potassium, according to 24Mantra. And a teaspoon of sugar weighs 4.2 grams, according to Michigan State University.
5. Molasses
A tablespoon of molasses contains 308 mg of potassium. This amounts to 7% Daily Value.
I know that this isn’t a common coffee additive, but my husband used to drink his coffee with this often. It has a similar, but stronger, taste to brown sugar in coffee.
6. Honey
A tablespoon of honey contains between 8.5 and 743.75 mg of potassium. Potassium levels in honey are highly variable. This is because the source of honey affects its nutrient composition.
This is based on a tablespoon of honey weighing 21.25 grams. And there are between 40 and 2500 mg of potassium in 100 grams of honey.
Here’s more about adding honey to coffee.
Other Factors
Potassium and caffeine are the primary components in coffee that people monitor for their health. Phosphorous, sodium, iron, and cholesterol are near non-existent in coffee. However, some of these may be present in coffee additives, like milk or creamers.
Milk has a high phosphorous level of about 240mg per cup. Some soy milk also has a high phosphorous content. Some creamers also include phosphorous additives. Just like with potassium, you should always check their nutritional information to find out.
As for carbohydrates, sugars, or sodium, those are basically not present in coffee unless you add them.
Health Benefits of Potassium
Potassium is a critical mineral for key organs – like the heart and kidneys.
Potassium deficiencies are associated with a risk of digestive disorders, arthritis, infertility, and high blood pressure.
You might be more prone to a potassium deficiency if you have a digestive condition (like IBS or Crohn’s), if you smoke, abuse substances, or have an eating disorder. Athletes can be at risk of a potassium deficiency if they exercise in hot climates or sweat excessively.
Your Turn
So, do you need to give up coffee? Probably not! Coffee is a very low-risk drink for healthy people.
Even with some health problems, you may have to decrease your coffee consumption or change the way that you drink your coffee, but you probably won’t have to give it up. If you have health problems, make sure to clear everything with your doctor.
Have a question? Join me in the comments!
Trying to find out which honey…including Maukas..has the Least Potassium
Did you answer my question about which instant coffee contains
potassium. Do all brands contain potassium?
How much caffeine is in tea?
You wrote at the beginning of the article that
“ Decaf coffee has more caffeine (216 mg) and instant coffee has less (96 mg). Coffee additives, like milk or sweeteners, can increase the potassium content.”
I think you meant potassium.
You’re right. Thanks for noticing that – just fixed it.
Other sites have potassium amounts lower than regular coffee. This is important because I have high potassium and kidney disease
This is an important detail. You’ll find authoritative sources in our post – we aren’t just quoting opinions or guesses. And to be certain, it’s always good to check with your doctor before changing your diet.
@Bryan Haines,
Your “authoritative sources” seem to be other articles all spreading the same unsubstantiated info. Not one scientific quote to be found on why decaf should have twice the Potassium as regular brewed coffee.
Sorry for the confusion. If you’ll reference the Health Line source (regarding potassium in decaf coffee), they cite this page Caffeine in Coffee: Its Removal. Why and how? (National Library of Medicine) which has the original source of this article by Taylor & Francis Online. You can then purchase access to that article to confirm the accuracy and authority of what’s in our article.