What are electrolytes?
Each element or mineral has its own specific frequency or energetic vibration. We all have heard of the term, electrolyte. Electrolyte refers to a substance that gives up its Energy in solution making it capable of conducting electricity. Electricity is the only thing we’re interested in. Electricity implies power, Power = Energy, Energy = Life.
It’s the electrolyte activity in the body that activates the muscles to contract. There can be no thoughts and no words without natural salt in your body. And without sufficient levels of the key electrolytes, muscle weakness or severe muscle contractions may occur.
There are 5 well-known electrolytes utilized by the human body. These are calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and chloride. You obtain electrolytes through eating different foods and drinking certain fluids, while you lose them partially through exercise, sweating, going to the bathroom and urinating.
Why do you need them?
Electrolytes are found within bodily fluids, including urine, blood and sweat. Electrolytes are given their name because they literally have an “electric charge.” They separate into positively and negatively charged ions when they’re dissolved in water. It’s the electrolytes that affect and regulate the hydration of the body, blood pH, blood pressure, and are crucial for nerve and muscle function. The muscle tissue and neurons of the body are considered electric tissues, able to conduct electricity.
An electrolyte imbalance can be caused by a number of different factors, including short-term illnesses, medications, dehydration and underlying chronic disorders.
Some symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance:
- Muscle aches, spasms, twitches, and weakness
- Thirst
- Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats
- Confusion or trouble concentrating
- Blood pressure changes
- Dizziness, especially when standing up suddenly
Sodium
An essential electrolyte for humans, sodium is responsible for controlling the total amount of water in the body. It is also important for regulating blood volume and maintaining muscle and nerve function. This creates one-half of the electrical pump that keeps electrolytes in balance between the intracellular and extracellular environments (i.e., sodium outside of cells and potassium inside of cells).
- Hypernatremia – An excess of sodium in bodily fluids is called hypernatremia and generally comes from having too little water in the body – you’re likely more familiar with it called dehydration. This can lead to weakness, lethargy, and in severe cases seizures or coma.
- Hyponatremia – Too little sodium is called hyponatremia and is the most common electrolyte disorder in the United States. Often caused by severe diarrhea or vomiting, symptoms may include headache, confusion, fatigue, hallucinations and muscle spasms.
Chloride
works closely with sodium to maintain proper balance and pressure of the various fluid compartments of the body (blood, inside cells, and the fluid between cells). It is also vitally important for maintaining proper acidity in the body, passively balancing out the positive ions of blood, tissue and organs.
Potassium
Whereas sodium is mainly found outside cells, potassium is the major cation inside cells and is hugely important for regulating heartbeat and muscle function. It forms the other half of the electrical pump that keeps electrolytes in balance and allows conductivity between cells, also making potassium a critical part of neuron transmission.
Magnesium
necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, but it also plays an important role in the synthesis of both DNA and RNA, essential to every cell of every known living organism. The fourth most prevalent mineral in the human body, magnesium helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, boosts the immune system, maintains stable heart rate, stabilizes blood sugar, and promotes the formation of bones and teeth.
Calcium
You probably already know that calcium is necessary for the formation of bones and teeth, but what you may not realize is that it’s also critical for transmission of nerve impulses, blood clotting, and muscle contraction. Being the most abundant mineral in your body, about 99% of all calcium is found in the skeletal structure, but your body also needs a balance in the bloodstream and other cells (especially muscle cells). If there is not enough calcium in your blood, it is taken from your bones to supplement the deficiency; left unchecked, this lack of calcium can eventually lead to Osteoporosis.
The balance of electrolytes
Each electrolyte plays a critical role in keeping your body running well, but the key thing to note is that they function in a very specific balance. The reason it is so important to know just what electrolytes do is because most people don’t realize that it’s all in the balance.
