"Making money is important, but your health always comes first." This was the advice given by the 24-year-old food blogger "Gangfan Yingying" (real name Chen Ziyi), who has millions of followers.
On September 4, Chen Ziyi's parents posted an obituary on their social media account, stating that Chen Ziyi passed away on August 17, 2026.
In her last video before her death, she stated that her blood potassium was as low as 2.3 mmol/L and she was hospitalized due to hypokalemia. She admitted that her physical problems were related to long-term eating and broadcasting and repeated vomiting.
An insider revealed that Yingying had been in a state of low potassium for a long time, and her death was suspected to be related to cardiac arrest caused by low potassium.
Many netizens are confused: Why do they still suffer from dangerous low potassium even though they have been eating a lot?
Potassium ions act as a key switch in the electrical activity of the heart
A value as low as this is very dangerous!
"Generally, our normal blood potassium level is 3.5-5.5 mmol/L." Pang Lingxiao, deputy chief physician of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Zhaohui Campus, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said that less than 3.5 mmol/L is hypokalemia; 3.0-3.4 mmol/L is mild hypokalemia, 2.5-2.9 mmol/L is moderate hypokalemia, and serum potassium less than 2.5 mmol/L is severe hypokalemia.
Blogger Yingying measured 2.3 mmol/L, which has fallen into the severe hypokalemia range. "If we encounter such indicators in clinical practice, they will basically be placed in the emergency room." Pang Lingxiao said.
Potassium ions are equivalent to the key switch for the electrical activity of the heart. Every beat of the heart relies on the bioelectrical conduction of the myocardium. "High or low blood potassium will disrupt myocardial electrical signals and induce arrhythmia. In severe cases, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation may occur, which is directly life-threatening." Severe hypokalemia may completely induce cardiac arrest.
Potassium not only acts on the myocardium, but also participates in nerve signal transmission and muscle contraction throughout the body. It is inseparable from the operation of gastrointestinal smooth muscles and skeletal muscles of the limbs. The damage of low potassium is systemic, and it is not just a simple general weakness.
The early manifestations of hypokalemia are very subtle and can easily be mistaken for fatigue or heat stroke. "The most typical first symptom of hypokalemia is symmetrical weakness in both lower limbs, unable to drag feet when walking, weak legs when climbing stairs, and wanting to squat after standing for a long time." Pang Lingxiao said. As the blood potassium continues to drop, the weakness will spread to the trunk, upper limbs, and even involve the respiratory muscles. "To this extent, even breathing will be difficult."
Individual tolerance varies greatly. Some people's blood potassium has dropped to severe levels, but they only feel slightly tired. "You must not rely on your own feelings to determine whether you have hypokalemia. Blood tests are the gold standard."
Will eating too much lead to potassium deficiency?
Vomiting, diarrhea, and improper weight loss all steal potassium from the body.
Many people wonder why they still suffer from potassium deficiency when eating normally?
Pang Lingxiao explained that if ordinary people eat a balanced diet, their bodies can maintain a dynamic balance of potassium; but if someone like Yingying repeatedly induces vomiting, the situation is completely different. "Food is eaten and spit out before it is fully absorbed, and a large amount of potassium in the gastric and intestinal juices is lost. If you supplement less and lose more, low potassium will come to your door again and again."
In addition to inducing vomiting, many scenes in life consume potassium in the body:
Drink only plain water after high-intensity exercise and sweating a lot;
Acute gastroenteritis with repeated vomiting and diarrhea;
Some hyperthyroidism and channelopathies can also cause hypokalemia.
"Nowadays, many people take weight-loss injections, and the vomiting reaction is more obvious. Severe vomiting can also cause a large loss of potassium. This group of people should be especially careful." Pang Lingxiao reminded.
"There is nothing wrong with losing weight. A reasonable diet and moderate exercise are the methods worth advocating." Lu Yuanqiang, director of the emergency department of the Qingchun Campus of the First Hospital of Zhejiang University, said that many people, in order to lose weight quickly, believe in weight-loss drugs of unknown origin. "Some weight-loss drugs may appear to have good short-term weight loss effects, but they can seriously disrupt electrolytes in the body and cause damage to the heart and kidneys. The risk is extremely high."
The "Anti-Food Waste Law" implemented in 2021 clearly prohibits the production and dissemination of content that promotes overeating, and supervision also continues to rectify abnormal eating broadcasts. Whether it is inducing vomiting after overeating or taking diet pills to lose weight, it is overdrafting the body. Pang Lingxiao lamented: "My body has given me a warning by being hospitalized, and if I continue to repeat harmful behaviors, the risks will only continue to accumulate."
Do not take potassium supplement tablets on your own when taking potassium supplements
Different groups of people should be treated differently
After experiencing fatigue, the first reaction of many people is to buy potassium supplement pills and take them. In this regard, Pang Lingxiao repeatedly warned: "Never take potassium supplement tablets at home. It is not recommended for ordinary people to supplement potassium at home."
Potassium is mainly excreted by kidney metabolism. Once the kidney function is poor, the supplemented potassium cannot be excreted, which will cause hyperkalemia. It can also induce malignant arrhythmia and threaten the safety of the heart. "Even if the kidney function is normal, potassium supplements should not be taken casually like vitamins." Pang Lingxiao said that even if potassium supplements are prescribed to patients with diarrhea in clinical practice, the dosage period will be clearly informed, and the medication must be stopped in time when the blood potassium returns to normal.
Faced with different situations, the handling methods are also different:
If you are tired after sweating a lot like a marathon, you can drink electrolyte drinks containing potassium and sodium appropriately;
However, if the discomfort is caused by vomiting and diarrhea, you must seek medical treatment in time. Not only should blood potassium be checked, but dehydration and infection should also be assessed. Patients with severe vomiting need intravenous potassium supplementation in the hospital.
Healthy people give priority to dietary supplements for daily potassium supplementation. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that the appropriate daily intake of potassium for adults is 2-4 grams.
Daily high potassium food list
Vegetables: spinach, amaranth, lettuce and other dark green leafy vegetables; potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and other potatoes; fresh mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and other mushrooms.
Fruit: banana, orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberry.
Others: Beans such as soybeans and black beans; fish such as salmon and cod; dairy products such as milk and yogurt, and whole grains.
People with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease can appropriately increase their intake of high-potassium foods. Potassium can help the body excrete excess sodium and assist in blood pressure control. Ensure sleep, moderate exercise, and reduce the intake of strong tea and excessive coffee, which is also beneficial to the absorption and utilization of potassium.
Reminder:
Potassium supplementation is not always better
Patients with renal insufficiency or dialysis have impaired potassium excretion ability. They should avoid blindly taking large amounts of high-potassium foods and follow the doctor's advice. Elderly people and people taking medicine for a long time should not rely solely on food supplements if they have repeated palpitations and physical weakness. They should seek medical attention promptly to find the root cause of low potassium. Some antihypertensive drugs can affect blood potassium levels and require doctor's evaluation and adjustment of medication.
For mild hypokalemia, you can adjust your diet and take oral potassium supplements under the guidance of a doctor; once it develops into severe hypokalemia, accompanied by weakness in the lower limbs, palpitation, and palpitations, dietary supplements are far from enough, and you must seek medical attention immediately, and intravenous potassium supplementation if necessary.
Early warning signals from the body
Worth everyone's attention
Traffic, income, and figure are of course important
But good health is the foundation of everything
Author: Zhou Wei
