One stalk contains 540mg, to be exact. One a scale of foods that range high and foods that range low, broccoli can be found somewhere in the middle. So is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, as with most things, that depends on how you look at it.

We’ll talk about the more negative things first. Because broccoli is moderately high in potassium, when it’s eaten in large amounts or in conjunction with other foods that contain a lot of potassium, it can lead to too much of a good thing and too much potassium in your system can be harmful. Potassium is also sometimes over-consumed when people take multivitamin supplements while also eating foods high in potassium. It can cause your kidneys to not work as efficiently as they would otherwise. Too much potassium can also lead to heart problems or worst of all, death.

On the positive side, potassium is only one of the awesome attributes broccoli contains. It has also been known to help fight off two big monsters – cancer and heart disease. It can help regulate blood sugar and insulin, and it’s a friend to your liver, too. All of these factors combined with its potassium levels also make it good at controlling blood pressure.

Getting enough potassium is just as important as not having too much. If you’re not getting enough potassium you may experience systems like diarrhea, vomiting, weak muscles or breathing abnormalities, just to name a few. Getting enough potassium can help provide nutrients to your body as it helps your metabolism. It can help protect against heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity and kidney disease. It has also been known to help reduce stress and can help keep your muscles strong, keep your nerve impulses sharp, and has even been known to improve one’s sex life.