Although you might think of electrolytes as something that comes in a powder, tablet, droplet or sports beverage, you’ll find plenty in a healthy diet, Rosenkranz said. “For most people, it is absolutely true that we get adequate amounts in the foods and beverages that we consume already,” she said.
For example, calcium – which helps regulate blood clotting, heart rhythm and how blood vessels dilate and contract – can be found in tofu, low-fat dairy products and some plant-based milks. Magnesium, which lets many enzymes function, is usually found in foods that contain fiber, including leafy greens, beans, nuts and whole grains.
Getting enough of some electrolytes, such as potassium – which helps regulate blood pressure – can be challenging, “particularly if you’re not eating a lot of fruits and vegetables,” Rosenkranz said.
Many people have the opposite problem with sodium. Paired with chloride, it’s salt. It’s also added to many processed foods.
Sodium helps restore the body’s fluid balance after prolonged sweating, illness or if someone has taken diuretic medications, said Dr. Mindy L. Millard-Stafford, director of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. “Water can do the job also, but without sodium, it tends to be retained less effectively.” Water alone also quenches thirst quickly, while sodium makes a person want to drink more, which can be helpful at times.
But excess sodium also raises blood pressure, and most Americans are already eating too much. Federal dietary guidelines recommend adults eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, or about 1 teaspoon. The ideal daily limit for most adults is 1,500 mg, according to the American Heart Association. Yet Americans consume an average of 3,400 mg a day.
If you’re not eating excess sodium, Rosenkranz said, your body does a pretty good job of keeping electrolytes in balance. The kidneys process them and filter any excess into urine.