Electrolytes are essential minerals in the human body that produce electric charges to energize the body instantly. They are usually found in the human body’s blood, urine, tissue, and other body fluids. They are an essential part of the body, they help
- Weigh the volume of water in your body
- Restore your body's acid/base (pH) level
- Transfer nutrients into your cells
- Remove wastes out of your cells
It is essential that your nerves, muscles, the heart, and the brain function in the way they should normally. The amount of electrolytes in your body is gained from the food you eat daily. Sometimes the level of electrolytes in your body can become too high or too low. This depends on the amount of water you intake on a daily basis. If there is an imbalance of electrolytes in your body, you can suffer from dehydration or overhydration. To overcome dehydration, you can try the Best Electrolyte Drink.
The main electrolytes that should be necessarily in your body in sufficient amounts are sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate. The functions of electrolytes are discussed below:
Sodium:
Sodium is a positive ion (cation) in the fluid outside of cells. The chemical formula for sodium is Na+. In the combination of chloride and sodium, it forms a salt. When the level of sodium is high, it is excreted in the urine. Sodium controls the whole amount of water in the body. Moreover, the transmission of sodium into and out of individual cells plays an important role in critical body functions. Many important functions of the body parts such as the brain, nervous system, and muscles require electrical signals for better functioning. And the flow of sodium is mainly responsible for generating these electrical impulses. That’s why too much or too little sodium can disturb the function of cells and the fluctuations in the levels of sodium in the blood can be fatal.
If the ratio of sodium in the blood is more than water, it can lead to hypernatremia. Although there are numerous causes of hypernatremia such as kidney disease, too little water intake, and loss of water due to diarrhea and/or vomiting. And if the ratio of sodium is less than water, it may result in hyponatremia. This condition can result due to certain diseases in the liver and kidney and in the patients with congestive heart failure, in burn victims, and many more.
A normal ratio of sodium in the blood is 135 - 145 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L).
Potassium:
It is the major positive ion that can be seen within the cells. The chemical symbol for potassium is K+. It is very important to have potassium in sufficient amounts in cells for their normal functioning. The main functions of potassium are
- regulation of the heartbeat
- Better functions of the muscles
The abnormal level of potassium i.e increased potassium also known as hyperkalemia and decreased potassium is referred to as hypokalemia majorly affects the nervous system and develops the chances of irregular heartbeats when extremes can be fatal.
As mentioned above, increased potassium is called hyperkalemia. Generally, the potassium is secreted by the kidneys therefore these disorders causing the lower functioning of the kidneys may result in hyperkalemia.
On the other hand, hypokalemia occurs due to decreased potassium levels resulting in kidney diseases; excessive losses due to massive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, eating disorders, specific medications, etc.
The normal range of potassium level in the blood is 3.5 - 5.0 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L),
Therefore if you lose electrolytes, it is important to get Electrolyte Replacement immediately. You can have the Best Hydration Drink including all essential electrolytes and water.
Recoverors can be one of the Good Electrolyte Drinks. You can also look for Natural Electrolytes such as coconut water.