Why Electrolytes are Important for Your Body
Electrolytes are salts and minerals found in our blood, helping to conduct electrical impulses in the body.
Electrolytes play an essential role in the nervous system, keeping you hydrated, contracting muscles - and regulating the pH system.
Electrolytes in the human body include:
- sodium
- potassium
- calcium
- bicarbonate
- magnesium
- chloride
- phosphate
Although we usually get all the electrolytes we need from maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, there can be times when we have an electrolyte imbalance in the blood.
Why are electrolytes important?
They’re vital for your body to function correctly, and they help with a wide range of processes. These may include:
- transmitting nerve signals
- helping blood to clot
- helping muscle contraction
- building new tissue
- regulating fluid levels
- keeping your blood pH in a normal range
We all need electrolytes to survive. A number of automatic processes your body carries out rely on a small electric current in order to function, and it is electrolytes that provide this charge.
Electrolytes work with one another along with the cells in your tissue, nerves, and muscles. It’s getting that balance right that is vital for the healthy functioning of your body.
How do we know when we have an electrolyte imbalance?
Such an imbalance could be due to dehydration, a poor diet, certain health conditions, and exercising intensely without hydration afterwards.
An electrolyte imbalance can have a range of different symptoms, and these can be different from person to person. It also depends on what type of electrolyte imbalance you're experiencing, as well as how severe the imbalance is.
Here are signs and symptoms of being low in electrolytes:
- fever
- shortness of breath
- confusion
- change in heartbeat
- tiredness
- muscle spasms
- blood pressure changes
- weakness
If you are concerned, a medical professional will be able to do an electrolyte blood test.
While eating a healthy and balanced diet should give you all the electrolytes you need for day-to-day activities, there may be times when you want to replenish what you might have lost.
Examples include:
- Intense exercise
- As a result of short term illnesses such as vomiting, or diarrhoea.
- Drinking alcohol and suffering from a hangover can be another reason. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it removes fluids from the body, leaving you feeling weak and dehydrated.
- Suffering from heat stroke.
How to increase your electrolytes NATURALLY
- Cow’s milk provides a unique blend of electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein that makes it an ideal workout recovery drink.
- Coconut Water (namely the liquid found inside a coconut). Bottled coconut water is rich in electrolytes, like potassium, and it also contains sodium, calcium, and magnesium and it is naturally low in sugar. Coconut water can be consumed during or after exercise, but it is not a good sports drink alternative for athletes or after a high-intensity workout.
- Fruit juice can be a good option as most provide several electrolytes, as well as natural sugar, to give you energy. For example, orange juice provides calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Fruit juice is also rich in vitamins and antioxidants but one drawback to fruit juice is that it does not contain sodium.
- A fruit smoothie combines electrolyte-rich liquids and foods, helping to replenish your electrolytes after a workout. Start with milk or fruit juice as a base. Then, add foods that provide essential electrolytes. Bananas are rich in potassium and contain phosphorus and magnesium while yogurt adds calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
- Pedialyte is an over-the-counter electrolyte drink that is marketed for children but is safe for adults as well, providing several essential electrolytes and lower on sugar.
- Electrolyte Tablets are a convenient way to replenish electrolytes by dropping a tablet into a bottle of water and letting it dissolve. These tablets are designed for athletes who need to replace electrolytes after a rigorous workout. They are usually high in sodium to replace the sodium you lose through sweat.
SOURCES:
DISCUSSION on electrolytic imbalance in urology - PubMed (nih.gov)