Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Bicarbonate
Among 3,345 on-market potassium products with an identifiable primary form, 36.8% use Potassium Citrate (1,232 products) and 9.9% use Potassium Bicarbonate (332).
| Potassium Citrate | Potassium Bicarbonate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Unrated |
| Potassium by weight | 36.2% | 39.1% |
| Share of market | 36.8% | 9.9% |
| On-market products | 1,232 | 332 |
| Median declared dose | 50 elemental mg middle half: 30–99 | 110 elemental mg middle half: 95–200 |
| Most common brands | Source Naturals, Wonder Laboratories, Life Extension | Isotonix, Nuun, Pure Essence Ionic-Fizz |
Doses are declared per serving in elemental mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Potassium Citrate is tier 1
Treated as equivalent to potassium chloride (tier 1) on the basis of reported bioequivalence in absorption, but no primary absorption/PK comparison was verified; preferred clinically for kidney-stone prevention/urinary alkalinization rather than for an absorption advantage.
Source: none verified for the absorption claim (Sakhaee K et al. 1991, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 72(2):396-400, PMID 1899422 compares potassium salts on renal citrate excretion, not absorption)
Why Potassium Bicarbonate is unrated
Alkaline potassium salt used in bone-health trials (KHCO3 60-120 mmol/day; Sebastian 1994), but there are no head-to-head absorption data. In Dawson-Hughes 2009 the effects on urinary calcium and bone resorption were attributed to bicarbonate, not potassium, so bone-marker effects do not demonstrate potassium bioavailability.
Source: Sebastian A et al. 1994, N Engl J Med 330(25):1776-81, PMID 8190153; Dawson-Hughes B et al. 2009, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94(1):96-102, PMID 18940881
Other potassium comparisons
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Chloride
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Gluconate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Bicarbonate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Gluconate
- Potassium Bicarbonate vs. Potassium Aspartate
- Potassium Bicarbonate vs. Potassium Gluconate
- Potassium Aspartate vs. Potassium Gluconate