Electrolytes. They are currently very trendy with countless electrolyte drinks and mixes on the market.
What does the word make you think of? Maybe some sugary, colorful sports drinks come to mind.
You probably know you need electrolytes, but how should you get started and what really are they?
Great news! Electrolytes are much more simple than you may be thinking. Electrolytes are defined as “a substance that breaks up into ions (particles with electrical charges) when it is dissolved in water or body fluids. Some examples of ions are sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate.”
Electrolytes have the ability to conduct electricity. Electrolytes help your body to manage fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions.
Today we’re taking a closer look at two of these electrolytes: sodium and potassium.
Sodium
Salt can be one of those confusing subjects. On one hand, we’re told to reduce our intake of salt to maintain healthy blood pressure, but on the other hand, too little salt poses health problems.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. But they prefer it to be even lower – 1,500 mg or less per day for most adults.
Americans tend to eat more than 3,500 milligrams of sodium each day — a good bit more than the American Heart Association recommends.
However, in Japan, the intake is surprisingly higher – they consume close to 4,650 milligrams of sodium each day and have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to other countries.
So what’s the deal?
Here’s a clue as to why sodium intake may more problematic in the U.S.:
For most Americans, the vast majority (more than 70 percent) of their daily sodium intake comes from processed, packaged, and restaurant foods — not the salt shaker!!
Cutting back by 1,000 milligrams a day can significantly improve blood pressure and heart health.
The smartest way to do this is to replace processed, refined foods with whole foods found in their natural state.
So, how can I tell how much sodium I’m eating? You’ll find the amount of sodium in your food by looking at the Nutrition Facts Label.
Sodium per serving is listed in milligrams (or mg). Remember if your portion size equals two servings of a product, then you’re actually eating double the sodium listed.
Look on the ingredient list for words like “sodium,” “salt” and “soda.”
The total sodium shown on the Nutrition Facts label includes the sodium from salt, plus from other sodium-containing ingredients. For example, it includes ingredients like sodium nitrate, sodium citrate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and sodium benzoate.
Keep in mind that the easiest way to avoid these unnecessary sodium sources is to replace processed foods in your diet with whole foods.
What do the sodium claims on food packages mean?
- Salt/Sodium-Free – Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
- Very Low Sodium –35 milligrams or less per serving
- Low Sodium –140 milligrams or less per serving
- Reduced Sodium –At least 25 percent less sodium per serving than the usual sodium level
- Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted– At least 50 percent less sodium than the regular product
- No-Salt-Added or Unsalted – No salt is added during processing – but these products may not be salt/sodium-free unless stated
- High Sodium foods are considered foods with 400 mg or more of sodium per serving
It’s helpful to know that sodium levels can vary in the same foods depending on the brand or restaurant.
Every cell in your body contains salt. Unlike white table salt, unprocessed sea salt contains many minerals that are essential to thousands of processes that keep you alive.
**Salt helps the brain and nerves perform vital functions such as sending electrical impulses and maintaining fluid balance and muscle function.**
White Table Salt vs. Sea Salt
White table salt is 97% sodium chloride. It has been stripped of its minerals and bleached, and often includes additives called “anticaking agents” to keep clumps from forming. So, it’s not as “natural” as it may seem.
Unprocessed sea salt is not “white” sea salt. Instead, it is deeply colored and rich in minerals:
- Hawaiian or Alaea Sea Salt gets its rich red color from volcanic rock.
- Gorgeous pink Himalayan Sea Salt comes from ancient sea beds. It is lower in sodium than regular table salt and boasts 84 additional minerals.
- The grayish Celtic Sea Salt is from France and is still harvested using an ancient method that preserves optimal nutrient density. It also is lower in sodium than regular table salt and is loaded with healthful minerals.
- Kosher Salt is mainly sourced from natural deposits, although some may also come from seawater. Interestingly, a tablespoon of kosher salt weighs significantly less than a tablespoon of regular table salt because Kosher Salt features a larger flake size. Kosher Salt is white because it has been bleached.
Sea Salt benefits are go beyond just food flavoring to providing you with much-needed minerals.
Unprocessed sea salt has a much higher trace mineral content than refined table salt. Different harvest locations each have their own unique mineral make up, but all contain various amounts of important trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and sulfur.
Pass the shaker? Not so fast.
Yes, unprocessed sea salt has its health benefits, but as with anything, too much of a good thing stops being a good thing. Moderation is key.
If you have high blood pressure, reducing dietary sodium intake is important.
Also, research shows that increased plastic pollution in our oceans now means that traces of toxic microplastics made up of plastic polymers are in our salt supply.
The good news is that the amount is low enough that normal consumption won’t harm your health. Either way, it is something to be aware of as ocean pollution continues to increase.
So, how much salt should I have?
It varies from person to person. But instead of fearing sodium, go for the Moderation Principle: not too much, not too little, but just the right amount for your body.
It’s generally fine to sprinkle some unprocessed sea salt when you’re cooking. But eliminate high sodium intake from processed foods and avoid adding heavy amounts of salt to your food.
Salt recommendations can vary for each person based on age, health conditions, physical activity, and gender. The more active you are, the more important it is to include salt in your diet since you are losing more of it through your sweat.
If you have high blood pressure, however, be sure to keep your intake no higher than 1500 to 2000 mg per day.
And, if you notice that your ankles or fingers are swelling after you have salt, then it’s time to cut back. Too much dietary salt can cause water retention which will keep your weight up and keep you feeling puffy.
In general, adding a sprinkle of unprocessed sea salt to flavor your food is a perfectly healthy practice for most of us.
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral that’s found in some foods. Getting the right amount of dietary potassium is essential to keep you healthy. It is especially important for heart health.
How Much You Need
In general, most of us don’t meet our daily potassium intake. A good range of daily intake of potassium each day is about 3,500–4,700 mg — unless you have a kidney disorder.
Those with kidney disease should get a lower amount of potassium in their diets than the recommended daily allowance. This is because poor kidney function can result in too much potassium staying in your body, which can cause nerve and muscle problems.
If you have kidney disease, be sure to ask your doctor how much potassium you should have on a daily basis.
Why You Need Potassium
One of the main benefits of potassium is that it helps to regulate your blood pressure.
Here’s how:
- It removes extra sodium from your body through your urine. This helps to keep your blood pressure stable
- Potassium also causes your blood vessel walls to relax. When they’re too rigid, you can end up with high blood pressure and heart problems.
Potassium is also important for keeping your muscles healthy. It helps your muscles to flex or contract the way they should.
In addition, your nerves need potassium to function well.
If you have low levels of potassium, symptoms may include:
- weakness
- feeling tired
- muscle cramps
- confusion
- constipation
- an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) – skipped heartbeats or an irregular heartbeat
- tingling or numbness
- increased urination
A diet rich in potassium is important for your health in many ways. It helps to balance blood pressure, reduces water retention, protects against stroke, and helps to prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.
As the third most abundant mineral in the body, potassium helps the body to regulate fluids, send nerve signals, and regulate muscle contractions.
About 98% of the potassium in your body is found in your cells. 80% is in your muscle cells, while the other 20% is in your bones, liver, and red blood cells.
As an electrolyte, potassium ions carry a positive energy charge. This helps your body to manage fluid balance, improve nerve signals, and maintain healthy muscle contractions.
Food Sources of Potassium
Lots of whole foods are rich in potassium, especially fruits, vegetables, and fish.
With a targeted daily intake of potassium being about 3,500–4,700 mg (unless you have a kidney disorder), below are some food recommendations to help you accomplish this goal.
Here’s a quick guide for how much potassium you can get from eating a 3.5-ounce serving of foods rich in this mineral.
- Beet greens, cooked: 909 mg
- Yams, baked: 670 mg
- Pinto beans, cooked: 646 mg
- White potatoes, baked: 544 mg
- Portobello mushrooms, grilled: 521 mg
- Avocado: 485 mg
- Sweet potato, baked: 475 mg
- Spinach, cooked: 466 mg
- Kale: 447 mg
- Salmon, cooked: 414 mg
- Bananas: 358 mg
- Peas, cooked: 271 mg
Keep in mind, it’s always better to get nutrients from food before supplements.
But if you choose to supplement potassium, it’s good to know that in some countries, over-the-counter supplements are limited to 99 mg, which is much less than the amount you can get from just one serving of the potassium-rich whole foods.
This 99-mg limit is likely because many studies have found that high doses of potassium from supplements can damage the gut and possibly cause serious or fatal heart arrhythmias.
Since many foods contain potassium, try increasing your servings of potassium-rich foods on a daily basis before choosing to supplement.
In addition to the foods above, the foods listed below are also high in potassium. These are a great place to start to boost the amount of potassium in your diet.
Fruits and Vegetables:
- Bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, grapefruit (some dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and dates, are also high in potassium)
- Cooked spinach
- Cooked broccoli
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Peas
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Pumpkins
- Leafy greens
These fish provide rich sources of potassium:
- Halibut
- Tuna
- Cod
- Trout
- Snapper
Beans or legumes that are high in potassium include:
- White beans
- Adzuki beans
- Pinto beans
- Navy beans
- Lima beans
- Great Northern beans
Other foods that are rich in potassium include:
- Chicken, beef, and turkey
- Dairy products like milk and yogurt
Hopefully this has simplified the sometimes-confusing world of electrolytes. Check back for part two when we’ll talk about two more electrolytes: magnesium and calcium.