Natural Electrolytes: A Scientific, In-Depth Look at Your Body’s Vital Regulators
Many of us have heard the term “electrolytes”, but how many truly understand their complex and expanded role in the proper regulation of our bodily functions? Electrolytes are, in essence, minerals found in our food and drinks that carry a positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water.
The human body mainly relies on seven primary electrolytes for the regulation of daily internal functions, but in reality, the term electrolyte is broad, and it’s hard to find a balance between true, electrically charged minerals, and elements such as Zinc and Iron, which can indeed function as natural electrolytes but contribute to other functions in our internal systems.
Sodium, Calcium, Potassium, Chloride, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphate and Bicarbonate are touted as the most essential electrolytes in our bodies. And that’s because an imbalance of one of these electrically charged elements will have an automatic cascading effect that will start impacting the functioning of the others as well. The balance of natural electrolytes in the human body is delicate and can often be thrown off by illnesses, dehydration, or intense physical exercises associated with rapid fluid loss. It’s important to occasionally utilise an electrolyte beverage to replenish these lost minerals, but it’s also important to know that not all electrolytes function the same.
A Required Electrolyte for Maintaining Extracellular Fluid Volume
What are the most essential natural electrolytes found in our bloodstream? Well, let’s start with the one I think is the most essential for us, and that’s Sodium. In the human body, Sodium regulates the balance of fluids in and around the cells and maintains blood pressure constant. It is indispensable for muscle contraction, aids in the recovery of muscle fibres, and is essential for nerve impulses, as it’s the primary mineral that helps in the communication between nervous system cells.
Sodium is considered the most important electrolyte in the human body, because even small deficiencies of it can affect blood pressure, impact muscle function and determine how other minerals, like potassium and magnesium, work. In fact, among electrolyte disorders, hyponatremia, which is characterised by a serum sodium level of less than 135 mmol/L, is often touted as the most frequent of such maladies.
Hyponatremia, unlike other electrolyte imbalance disorders, is characterised by neurological manifestations and can lead to strange but persistent symptoms such as confusion, nausea and even delirium. Did you ever feel like you couldn’t properly concentrate after a really intense workout, and you also started to experience a headache? Then, it’s likely that you were dealing with a sodium imbalance in your bloodstream, which should’ve been properly and promptly addressed.
What About the Others?
Calcium is a structural component of our bones, and as an electrolyte, it participates in blood clotting, acts as a second messenger in the propagation of intercellular electrical systems and it’s essential for muscle contractions. (Yes, even for the heart). The scientific name for calcium deficiency is hypocalcaemia, and in the long term, a chronic lack of calcium can lead to frequent muscle spasms as well as a noticeable reduction in bone density.
Chloride, on the other hand, acts as a significant extracellular anion, balances sodium, and helps maintain osmotic pressure as well as fluid balance in and around the cells. It’s an element that’s tightly integrated with the body’s Sodium balance, and a deficiency in it can, in some cases, lead to chronic metabolic alkalosis. Not to be forgotten, Phosphate is an intracellular, essential for maintaining the PH levels of the human body, while Bicarbonate works to neutralise the acids produced by the human metabolism.
Noticed I skipped two important natural electrolytes? That’s intentional, as Magnesium and Potassium are the two main intracellular cations responsible for the proper functioning of the body’s muscles. Magnesium has an impact on ATP production, regulates the heart rhythm, and, according to the NIH, is a cofactor in more than 300 separate enzymatic reactions. Potassium, on the other hand, draws water and nutrients into the cell, maintains the resting membrane potential made possible by the movement of ion species through ion channels, and it works alongside sodium to relax muscles after intense exercise.
Do You Need an Electrolyte Beverage?
Well, it depends. An electrolyte beverage will provide your body with the right levels of magnesium, sodium and potassium in order to alleviate the short-term side effects of intense exercise. But does this mean you can only replenish the lost electrolytes via electrolyte supplements? No, not really. In reality, the human body is capable of extracting the electrolytes it needs from food and drinks. The problem? The process is less efficient than just investing electrolyte-rich supplement, mixes, or beverages.
Are you lacking in Sodium? In that case, beets and celery are fantastic sources of it, alongside seaweed like kelp. Do you feel muscle cramps? Then, it’s likely you are in need of more potassium, and bananas and avocados are a fantastic, natural source for it. Likewise, if you want to increase your body’s magnesium intake, you could consider purchasing pumpkin seed or cashew nuts, while for Calcium, dairy is always the best option to consider. There are plenty of options for naturally increasing your body’s electrolyte content. But are these solutions better than going for electrolyte beverages? That’s debatable.
Fast Is Better
Electrolyte beverages are not just sports drinks. They are a fast, safe and reliable way to rehydrate quickly, prevent the appearance of fatigue and muscle cramps after intense exercise, regulate your body’s PH balance, and regain your energy levels. Of course, maintaining a diet rich in natural electrolytes is essential for healthy living, but the problem is that digestion takes time, and after physical exhaustion or during moments of illness, your body will need an influx of electrolytes as soon as possible.
With an electrolyte drink, the onset of the positive effects will happen after only fifteen to thirty minutes after ingestion. However, for foods rich in electrolytes, the effects will only start to become noticeable after three or more hours after ingestion and minerals extracted from the foods will be in a lesser concentration than what’s possible via electrolyte supplements.
