This is the last week our special on Essential Electrolytes will be running, so I thought to use this blog post to share with you some of the ways I use Essential Electrolytes.  If any of you have additional information to share, please feel free to post in the comments section!

• On really hot, sweaty days (like today) I add half a scoop to a quart of ice water and sip on that while I’m working on the computer.
• On dry days in air conditioned offices (same goes for the dry winter air in heated offices) I do the same thing as above but without the ice.
• My husband likes to drink a heaping scoopful in about a pint of water before he goes surfing to help prevent muscle cramps.
• I drink half a scoop in a cup of water before I go to bed if I feel a headache coming on or I feel any kind of muscle cramping, including menstrual cramps.
• I offer a scoopful dissolved in a pint of ice water to friends who had one too many mai tais the night before.  Dehydration is a major cause of hangover!

Side note for parents of young children:

Pedialyte, the leading electrolyte replacement supplement for children, contains both Splenda and Acesulfame K (another nasty artificial sweetener) in all of its flavored varieties.  As of my online search today, the only artificial sweetener-free version of Pedialyte is the unflavored, so buy that one if you need to!  I would not recommend using Essential Electrolytes for infants and toddlers because the ratios of minerals and sugars are not right but it is appropriate as a Gatorade replacement for school-age children.  For younger ones, I would recommend coconut water with a pinch of Celtic salt or a homemade electrolyte replacement drink.  Most pediatricians will provide a recipe appropriate for your child you if you ask (one such recipe is 1 tsp salt and 4 oz. orange or apple juice in a quart of water).   

NOTE: This blog is for information only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for a medical condition, please consult your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements.

Electrolytes (minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that conduct electricity in the body) play a vital role in blood pressure.  Below are a few interesting tidbits from studies on the subject.  References are listed at the bottom for all of you science nerds like me who want to look up the complete study.  Enjoy!

1. Salt intake does not necessarily cause high blood pressure in everyone – only about 30% of the American population is sensitive enough to sodium that it would affect blood pressure.  (Though I would still recommend eating Celtic salt as opposed to normal table salt to provide sodium in a natural balance of minerals!)
2. Dietary salt intake may be more likely to affect blood pressure if your dietary calcium levels are low.  This may be because calcium helps the body to get rid of excess sodium.
3. 50% of people with low magnesium levels (and many public health experts estimate that up to 80% of the US population doesn’t obtain enough magnesium in their diets) also have high blood pressure. 
4. People with high blood pressure who also have low magnesium levels require more blood pressure lowering medications than those with normal magnesium levels.
5. Most vegetarians have low blood pressure.  This is not necessarily caused by the avoidance of meat but by the fact that a vegetarian diet is naturally higher in potassium because so many plant foods are eaten.
6. The ratio of sodium to potassium in the diet may have more affect on blood pressure than the amount of either nutrient alone.  Those with a sodium/potassium ratio greater than 1.36 were most likely to have high blood pressure.  Those whose sodium/potassium ratio was 0.6 or less were least likely to develop high blood pressure.  While our Essential Electrolyte supplement does contain a small amount of sodium to replenish what would be lost while sweating, it does so in a sodium/potassium ratio of 0.55.

NOTE: This blog is for information only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for high blood pressure, please consult your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements.

References
1. The Nutr Rep 9(8), August, 1991
2. Am J Clin Nutr 48:1463-70
3. Fed Proc 40(12):2672-9, 1981
4. J Am Coll Nutr 6(4):321-28, 1987
5. Am J Clin Nutr 37:755-762, 1983
6. J Hypertension 4(suppl5):S355-57, 1986

Most people have heard of electrolytes, whether in gym class or sports drink commercials, but may not be sure what exactly electrolytes are, other than some amorphous nutrient needed for supreme athletic performance.  Here are a few fun facts about electrolytes to help you make conversation around the sports drink cooler:

 Scientifically speaking, electrolytes are ions that conduct electricity.
 Nutritionally speaking, electrolytes are salts such as sodium, potassium, and chloride as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
 In cells, electrolytes conduct the electrical charges that make life possible.  This is why conditions associated with increased loss of electrolytes (i.e. heatstroke) are so serious.
 Electrolytes regulate nerve impulses and muscle movement.
 Electrolytes keep the acid-alkaline balance of the body in check.
 You don’t need to sweat to lose electrolytes – stress is another major cause of electrolyte imbalance.

I’ll be blogging on electrolytes for the rest of the month while our Essential Electrolyte drink is on sale.  If you have any specific questions about electrolytes, please post them in the Comments section and I’ll address them in my blogs.  Thanks for reading!