Natural Electrolytes 101: What Are Electrolytes and Why Are They Important?

Electrolytes are essential to many basic body functions. They play a role in keeping your body hydrated, maintaining cellular homeostasis (balance), as well as conducting nerve impulses and muscle contraction. (17) Since electrolytes play so many important roles, it is important to ensure your body gets the electrolytes it needs to function optimally.

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals obtained from the diet that carry an electrical charge. They are absorbed into the body during digestion and present in blood, urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids. The minerals that are classified as electrolytes include:

• Calcium
• Chloride
• Magnesium
• Phosphate
• Potassium
• Sodium (19)

Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry an electrical charge.

What do electrolytes do in the body?

Electrolytes are important because they are involved in:

• The balance of the amount of water in the body
• The balance of your body’s pH level
• The movement of nutrients into cells
• The elimination of waste from cells
• The proper functioning of nerve, muscle, heart, and brain cells (19)

Electrolytes and their functions

We need each electrolyte in different amounts, and although electrolytes work together synergistically, they each have their own roles.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. (9) Its functions include:

• Conducting nerve impulses and hormone secretion
• Keeping muscle tissue rigid, strong, and flexible
• Maintaining the structure and strength of bones and teeth
• Triggering the contraction and dilation of blood vessels, which helps your blood vessels distribute blood throughout the body (7)(12)

Calcium is necessary for many body functions such as maintaining bone and teeth structure and conducting nerve impulses.

Chloride

Chloride is found in all body fluids, with the highest amount in the blood and in the fluid outside of the body’s cells. (17)(18) Chloride is a component of salt, technically known as sodium chloride (NaCl), and potassium chloride, a common salt substitute. Chloride is found naturally in many processed and packaged foods. (23) As a result, most people get more chloride than is required by the body. (7) Functions of chloride include:

• Maintaining fluid and acid-base balance
• Regulating muscular and nervous system activity
• Supporting the production and release of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) (18)(23)

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 different chemical reactions that regulate several functions in the body. The functions in which magnesium is involved include:

• Blood sugar regulation
• Blood pressure regulation
• Bone development
• Calcium and potassium ion transportation across cell membranes, a process that is necessary for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm
• DNA and RNA synthesis
• Glutathione (a potent antioxidant) synthesis
• Nerve and muscle function
• Protein synthesis (11)

Phosphorus

When the mineral phosphorus is consumed through food, it combines with oxygen particles in the small intestine and becomes electrically charged, forming the electrolyte phosphate. The functions of phosphate include:

• Maintaining and building strong bones and teeth (22)
• Metabolizing carbohydrates and fat
• Regulating heart rhythm, kidney function, muscle contraction, and nerve signaling
• Synthesizing protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues
• Synthesizing ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy (17)(31)

Phosphate levels are regulated by the kidneys, and an imbalance of phosphate could be due to a lack of dietary intake, kidney disease, or gastrointestinal disorders. (17)(22)

Sodium

We consume most of our sodium in the form of sodium chloride, commonly known as salt. (20) Sodium is also used as an additive in forms such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and sodium benzoate. (26) US dietary guidelines recommend most adults should only have a small amount of sodium, less than 1 tsp of table salt per day. Sodium has many functions and is required for:

• Cellular transport
• Fluid balance (20)
• Muscle function
• Nerve function
• Nutrient absorption (3)

Most people around the world consume more sodium than is required by the body. Unfortunately, consuming excess sodium has health consequences. For example, sodium affects fluid regulation; thus, consuming too much sodium may increase blood pressure as it draws more fluid into blood vessels. (3)

Potassium

98% of the body’s potassium is found in the intracellular fluid, (15) making it the most abundant electrically charged particle within the cell. (10) Potassium plays important roles in:

• Heart function
• Kidney function
• Muscle contraction
• Nerve transmission
• The movement of nutrients into cells and waste out of cells

A diet with a healthy amount of potassium can counteract sodium’s harmful effects on blood pressure. (21) Unfortunately, most people in the United States consume less potassium than is recommended. Individuals with certain health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, as well as those taking laxatives or diuretics are more likely to have a potassium deficiency. (13)

Natural sources of electrolytes and recommended intake

Each electrolyte has its own function in the body and is needed in different amounts. Below is a table with each electrolyte, their corresponding daily recommended intake, and dietary sources.

There are different recommended daily intakes for each electrolyte. The references for this table can be found in the references section below.

Electrolyte imbalance

It is possible for an electrolyte imbalance to occur if levels either drop too much or become overly elevated. This happens when the amount of water in the body changes. In order for the body to maintain healthy electrolyte levels, the amount of water consumed through food and drink should equal the amount lost in urine, sweat, and other fluids. In other words, an electrolyte imbalance can be caused by dehydration or overhydration. The most common and critical electrolyte imbalances are hypo (low) and hyper (high) states of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. (2)

Certain medications such as diuretics and laxatives, prolonged periods of diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive sweating, and conditions such as liver and kidney problems can interfere with water balance, and thus electrolyte levels. (19) Electrolyte imbalances can also be caused by physiological stress and hormonal interactions of antidiuretic hormone, aldosterone, and parathyroid hormone. Electrolyte imbalances are more common in critically ill patients than healthy individuals and can also occur due to certain diseases, such as uncontrolled diabetes, or in cases of severe heart attacks. (2) Older adults are more prone to electrolyte imbalance than younger individuals.

Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance include:

• Abdominal pain
• Cramps
• Diarrhea
• Dyspnea
• Edema, swelling caused by fluid retention (25)
• Fever
• Irregular heartbeat
• Numbness and tingling
• Weakness (2)(16)(28)

Electrolyte supplements

Supplements containing electrolytes may be beneficial when recovering from or addressing a condition that causes dehydration. Electrolyte drinks may prove to be more beneficial than plain water after strenuous exercise as they replenish both electrolyte and fluid balance. (1) Supplementing with electrolytes may also help with rehydration after prolonged vomiting or diarrhea by replacing the electrolytes lost. Always check with your integrative practitioner before introducing new supplements to your health care plan.

Be sure to check the nutritional label. Sports drinks often contain high amounts of sugar.

The bottom line

Electrolytes are minerals that have an electrical charge and are essential for normal body functioning. Functions of electrolytes include acid-base and water balance, nutrient absorption, as well as nerve, muscle, and organ function. We get electrolytes from our diet, but electrolytes supplements are also available. We lose electrolytes in bodily fluids such as sweat, urine, and feces, and electrolytes can become unbalanced if we are dehydrated. Supplementing with electrolytes may be beneficial after strenuous exercise, being in heat, or after prolonged periods of vomiting or diarrhea. Always check with your integrative healthcare practitioner before taking new supplements.