You are born with 70-80% water in your body. Water and electrolytes play vital roles in your body and health.
You may have noticed while drinking your favorite sports drinks that it has electrolytes added. Have you ever wondered what electrolytes are and how they help you stay healthy?
Although sports drinks companies make it sound like electrolytes are full of mystery, in this blog, we will try to address some of the common questions about electrolytes: what they are, how they work, and how to make sure that your diet contains enough electrolytes for health enhancement.
What are electrolytes?
You are made up of trillions of microscopic cells that work day and night to keep your body functioning properly. Basically, electrolytes are salts that break down into their component ions when water is added.
Electrolytes are essential for hydration, especially for athletes or elderly people who have other health issues, such as kidney or liver dysfunctions, causing electrolyte imbalances. Salt, potassium, calcium, and chloride are examples of electrolytes.
Electrolyte imbalance – Signs and symptoms
There are several symptoms that show you may be suffering from an electrolyte imbalance. The symptoms will largely depend on the type of electrolyte that has gone out of balance, your body type, and the amount or intensity or the imbalance.
Changes or deficiency in the level of magnesium, sodium, potassium, or calcium may produce one or more of the following symptoms:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weakness
- Bone disorders
- Twitching
- Blood pressure changes
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Numbness
- Nervous system disorders
- Lethargy & fatigue
- Convulsions
- Muscle spasm
Make sure to take plenty of fluids and electrolyte rich foods after heavy exercise. Drink electrolyte rich fluids if you are dehydrated and are losing fluids due to sweating or diarrhea. If you have chest pain, or any other physical discomfort, please consult your doctor immediately.
What you need to know about Commercial sports drinks
Commercial sports drinks have been producing electrolyte replenishers for ages. You are already familiar with several of the popular brands of sports drinks that claim to refill your daily requirements of electrolytes.
Commercial sports drinks have electrolytes added to them. However, if you are planning to do a light workout, and your goal is to lose weight, plain and simple water is the best way to replenish your hydration needs.
Water absorbs more quickly in our body than any other fluids. Most sports drinks contain sugar and electrolytes that can lose effectiveness when stored or refrigerated for a long time. Drinking milk or fruit juices could also be a healthy, tasty and nutritious way to get your daily requirements of most of your essential vitamins, micro minerals and antioxidants.
Electrolytes from natural sources
Maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in your body is important. Naturally occurring electrolytes in your diet would prevent health problems and electrolyte imbalance in your body. You should be careful and watch what you eat. The foods you eat, especially if they have added sodium in them, can cause an electrolyte imbalance.
It’s also important to remember that when you eat foods with added electrolytes, it does not ensure that all the electrolytes will be absorbed by your body. Therefore, it’s best to consume foods that balance electrolytes naturally.
Try to include organically grown foods like fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and meats. A list of foods with naturally occurring antioxidants, vitamins, potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, iron, and chlorides for electrolyte balance is given below.
Foods for electrolyte balance:
apples - plums
- avocados
- bananas
- cantaloupes
- dried apricots
- lima beans
- potatoes
- tomatoes
- carrots
- spinach
- fish
- Milk
- Schell fish and clams
- Beef & lamb
Try to include some of the foods mentioned above to get a complete balanced diet of electrolytes.
Conclusion:
Electrolytes are vital micro minerals and play vital roles in our cell functions, nervous system functions and immune system. Just because they are microscopic and trace elements, they should not be neglected. An electrolyte imbalance may cause severe health issues, which can be avoided simply by including electrolyte rich foods in our daily diet.
Unlike electrolyte imbalance, a thymus protein deficiency cannot be addressed through diet and must be treated with immune system supplements. Your Thymus Gland is responsible for producing these proteins and after it stops working, around age 40, you will likely experience declining immune function.
Don’t worry, though, these supplements are very successful in reversing this decline and as they are bioidentical to the ones your own body produces, they have no known side-effects, indications or drug interactions. Read more about Thymus Protein Supplements.
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Source: Alternative Health Concepts
Related articles are resources:
- BioPro-Plus: The Ultimate Immune Support Supplement
- Neglected Side of the Immune System Responsible for Killing Cancer
- What Role Does Diet Play in a Healthy Immune System?
- Your Body…It’s Electric! Electrolytes and You. | Blog
- What Are Electrolytes… And Why Are They So Important?
- Fluids and electrolytes during exercise
