Your body is a complex super structure organism of cells, tissues and fluids that needs electrons (not calories, carbohydrates, proteins or fats) to generate life force. It’s these electrical impulses that keeps you beating on all cylinders, energized and revitalized. This is only possible because those cells, tissues and fluids thrive in a homeostatic environment.
While in this environment they conduct electricity well enough to carry the signals to the intended destinations. When dissolved in body fluid, salts tend to break a part into their components ions, creating an electrically – conduction solution. Any fluid that conducts electricity known as an electrolyte and several common electrolytes are found in the human body.
Each serving a specific and important role, most in part responsible for maintaining the balance of fluids between the intracellular (inside) and extracellular (outside the cell) environment. This balance is critical for things like hydration, nerve impulses, muscle function and pH level. Therefore, an electrolyte imbalance, whether to much or to little, can be quite detrimental to your health (muscle contraction, for example also requires calcium, potassium and sodium; deficiencies may also result in muscle weakness or severe cramping (charley horses as we age.)
To much sodium, on the other hand, can cause high blood pressure and significantly increased risk of heart disease. Thereby, the proper amounts being consumed each day is between 12 and 14 grams (not the 24 – 32 grams that are normal. Therefore, electrolyte levels are mostly determined by food and water consumption.
So keeping the right balance simply comes down to proper nutrition. The human body is a salty solution of fluid: blood, sweat, tears, saliva, and urine is all made up of the Seven Major Electrolytes:
Electrolyte #1 | Sodium (Na+) 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, maintaining muscle and nerve function. Sodium is the major positively-charged ion (cation) outside your body cells and is mostly found in blood, plasma, and lymph fluid. 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).
Electrolyte #2 | Chloride (Cl-) The major negatively – charged ion (anion), chloride primarily found in extracellular fluid and 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.
Electrolyte #3 | Potassium (K+) sodium is mainly found outside the 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 allowing conductivity between cells, while also making potassium a critical part of neuron transmission. The proper balance between potassium and sodium is also very important to maintaining our health. What’s worse, is that imbalance of potassium and sodium can further increasing the risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke. However, we often skimp on natural fruits and vegetables full of potassium in favor of processed foods loaded with sodium.
Electrolyte #4 | Magnesium (Mg++) If you take into consideration how critical it is to life on this planet. Magnesium may be the most under – appreciated mineral in your nutritional arsenal. Not only is it necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, but it also plays an important role in the synthesis of both DNA and RNA, its essential to every cell of every known living organism. Magnesium 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.
Electrolyte #5 | Calcium (Ca++) 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 impulse, 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 levels, it will be taken from your bones to supplement the deficiency. While left unchecked, this lack of calcium can eventually lead to Osteoporosis. The recommended calcium intake is 1000 to 1500mg per day to maintain proper levels in the bloodstream and avoid weakening of bones.
Electrolyte #6 | Phosphate (HPO4–) Second to calcium, phosphorus follows as the most abundant mineral in your body, 85% of which is found in your bones as phosphate. The phosphate (anion) works closely with calcium to strengthen bones and teeth, but it is essential to energy production within cells, necessary for tissue growth and repair, and is a major building block for cell membranes and DNA. Most people get the correct amount of phosphorus through their diets, but high levels of phosphate (hyperphosphatemia) are not uncommon and generally indicate kidney disease or calcium deficiency. Increased phosphate in the body has been associated to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Electrolyte #7 | Bicarbonate (HCO3-) Our bodies rely upon a sophisticated buffering system to maintain proper pH levels. The Lungs regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the body, most of which is combined with water and converted to carbonic acid (H2CO3). This carbonic acid can then be quickly converted to bicarbonate (HCO3-), which is the key component in the pH buffer. Whenever these acids build up through metabolic processes or production of lactic acid in your muscles, the kidneys release this bicarbonate (alkaline solution) into your system to counteract the increased acidity.
If your body is becoming more basic, the kidneys will lessen the amount of bicarbonate to increase acidity. Without this system, rapid changes in pH balance could cause severe problems inside the body and damage sensitive tissue around the central nervous system. This bicarbonate buffer is one of the biggest reason our bodies can maintain homeostasis and function properly.
The Balance of Electrolytes: As you can see, each 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 its so important to know just what electrolytes do is because most people don’t realize that it’s all in the balance. Disrupting the equilibrium can be either toxic… deficient levels can have disastrous effects. Increasing incidence of hypertension and heart disease all over the world can be attributed to the rising occurrences of sodium imbalances.
So there you have it – your all – star lineup of electrolytes: now that you know exactly what electrolytes are how they should be balanced, the solution is simple – eat a healthy, natural diet! It seems so easy, however, this is vital for keeping your own superhighway in tip-top shape. Remember Also: take care of your body and it will take care of you!