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
Reported bioequivalent in absorption to potassium chloride; preferred clinically for kidney-stone prevention/urinary alkalinization rather than for an absorption advantage.
Source: uncertain -- needs review for exact primary comparative-PK source
Why Potassium Chloride is tier 1
Standard reference form used in essentially all major clinical hypokalemia/blood-pressure trials.
Source: Whelton PK et al. 1997, JAMA 277(20):1624-32, PMID 9168293
Tiers summarize published comparative bioavailability or outcome evidence for each form (see methodology).
This page describes the market; it is not a recommendation to take either form. Talk to a clinician about what's right for you.
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