Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Chloride
Among 3,345 on-market potassium products with an identifiable primary form, 36.8% use Potassium Citrate (1,232 products) and 36.8% use Potassium Chloride (1,232).
| Potassium Citrate | Potassium Chloride | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Tier 1 |
| Potassium by weight | 36.2% | 52.4% |
| Share of market | 36.8% | 36.8% |
| On-market products | 1,232 | 1,232 |
| Median declared dose | 50 elemental mg middle half: 30–99 | 70 elemental mg middle half: 30–99 |
| Most common brands | Source Naturals, Wonder Laboratories, Life Extension | NOW, DC, Vitamin World |
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 Chloride is tier 1
Standard reference form in most potassium-supplementation trials (the Whelton abstract does not itemise salts).
Source: Whelton PK et al. 1997, JAMA 277(20):1624-32, PMID 9168293
Other potassium comparisons
- Potassium Citrate vs. Potassium Bicarbonate
- 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