Should We All Be Drinking Electrolytes?

It’s all about hydration. The biggest secret to staying healthy being preached by health gurus everywhere is to drink water, but there’s something new trending – electrolyte water. This has become increasingly popular online and it’s time to find out what this is and if we really need it.

Electrolytes are essential salts and minerals that live in the blood, sweat, and urine, improving the health of our cells, nerves, tissues, and muscles. So, it’s fair to say that electrolytes are an essential part of our health.

The good news is that we usually get all the electrolytes we need from a healthy and balanced diet, but for some, there’s a risk of having an electrolyte imbalance.

Here’s a quick who and how breakdown:

For the athletes and exercise enthusiasts among us, there is a greater chance of an electrolyte imbalance as electrolytes are lost through sweat. So, when you go hard at the gym or sports practice at the end of the day, all the sweat you produce causes you to lose electrolytes.

Side Secret - electrolytes are used in sports drinks to help replenish lost energy and electrolytes after an intense workout (so stock up on your favourite post-workout drinks to make up for those lost electrolytes).

Others may have an electrolyte balance and there are a variety of other causes of electrolyte imbalance. A few include poor diet, the gift of ageing, and severe dehydration (here is a reminder to drink your water before reading on). So, as we get older we need to replenish more of our nutrients and minerals, and that includes our electrolytes.
For those of us who aren’t fans of a 6 am sweaty workout and sports drinks, there are other ways to ensure we absorb all the electrolytes needed to stay healthy.

Superfoods! These are ingredients that can be used every day and in many ways. This includes tomato juices, lettuce, ricotta, avocado, milk, kale, bananas, and now water.

Yes, electrolyte water has become a trend with health enthusiasts across the internet. As we all know, hydration is so important to overall health, and juices such as fruit juice, tea, milk, and regular water are all essential, but now we have electrolyte water. But is this a necessary addition?

Well, electrolytes serve a variety of health benefits, improve muscle function, hydrate the body, repair damaged tissue, and balance PH levels (um just to name a few). All sounds good. Great actually.
Now to the point of this post, for some people electrolyte water isn’t necessary unless you have an imbalance or are more at risk of losing electrolytes (refer to athletes and ageing). So don’t go out of your way to overconsume if you don’t need to do so.

We must always stay hydrated and look after our bodies, but it doesn’t need to be with electrolyte water or electrolyte supplements - regular water and good food will do enough. Sometimes less is more.

Remember to give your body what it needs and keep everything balanced so you can feel your best.

Stay hydrated & Enjoy!

Note: This is not a specialist or medical service. Always consult with a qualified health professional if you have any concerns regarding your mental and physical health.