health and weelbeing

If you’ve found yourself in your gym girlie era, chances are you’ve heard of electrolytes, but the extent of your knowledge of them starts and ends with boosting hydration, or perhaps Gatorade’s neon-colored bevvies. While sports drinks have a bad rap for their additives (think: sugar and artificial dye), the electrolytes they contain can do your hydration goals a solid, especially after you’ve worked up a sweat. But what even is an electrolyte, and do you really need to add the buzzworthy supplement to your regimen? I turned to experts to explain and find out how you can tell if you have an electrolyte imbalance. Read on to get the lowdown on everything you need to know about electrolytes. 

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What Are Electrolytes, and Why Do You Need Them?
“Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry an electric charge in our bodies,” explained Dr. Praveen Guntipalli, Medical Director and Owner of Sanjiva Medical Spa. “They play a vital role in maintaining various physiological functions, such as nerve signaling, muscle contractions, and fluid balance. The most common electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, and phosphate, and are present in bodily fluids like blood, urine, and sweat.” Electrolytes are vital to specific processes that keep your body functioning as it should, namely maintaining proper hydration and nervous system and muscle function as well as regulating the body’s internal pH levels. 
“When we engage in physical activities or experience excessive sweating due to hot weather or intense exercise, we lose electrolytes,” Dr. Guntipalli continued. “Thus, replenishing them becomes crucial to prevent dehydration and maintain overall health.  Whether through electrolyte-rich foods or drinks, maintaining a balanced intake of these minerals is necessary for optimal bodily functions and overall well-being.”

Common Symptoms Related to Lack of Electrolytes
So how do you know if you’re not getting enough? The telltale signs related to a lack of electrolytes, often referred to as electrolyte imbalances, can vary depending on which specific electrolyte is affected and the severity of the imbalance, according to Mary Sabat, MS, RDN, LD, a nutritionist and ACE-certified trainer. “However, some common symptoms may include muscle cramps or weakness, fatigue or lethargy, dizziness or lightheadedness, confusion or difficulty concentrating, and headaches,” she conveyed. Maria Tointon, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and CEO of Veg Out With Maria laid out some of the common symptoms to look out for based on the type of electrolyte deficiency:
Sodium: fatigue, headache, nausea, confusion, muscle weakness, and seizures 
Potassium: muscle weakness or cramps, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and constipation
Chloride: fluid loss, dehydration, weakness or fatigue, difficulty breathing, diarrhea or vomiting
Calcium: muscle cramps, numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, weakened bones, and dental problems
Magnesium: muscle spasms, tremors, weakness, fatigue, and irregular heartbeat
 
Do You Need to Supplement to Get Enough Electrolytes?
In most cases, a well-rounded diet packed with fruits and vegetables can provide sufficient electrolytes for the average person. That said, “Unfortunately, many people do not eat a balanced diet so the use of electrolyte replacement can be important for many people,” Sabat suggested. “In addition, intense physical activity, prolonged sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, or certain medical conditions may lead to increased electrolyte losses and a need for additional supplementation.” In other words, you should get all the electrolytes you need from an ideal diet, but on days when your fruit and veggie intake is lower or you’re extra depleted (i.e. if you’re doing a sweaty workout, traveling, or feeling under the weather), you may benefit in supplementing to restore electrolyte levels.
Cue electrolyte supplements like powders or tablets (shop our picks below!). Check with your doctor or nutritionist before starting an electrolyte supplement, and read the ingredient labels carefully when choosing the right one for you (beware of added sugar and artificial sweeteners). Don’t want to purchase another supplement? You can also try some hacks to get in electrolytes, such as adding a pinch of high-quality sea salt to your water, sipping on coconut water, or snacking on electrolyte-rich foods (see below for some ideas).
How much electrolytes you need depends on your body, your sweat content, and the weather so talk to your doctor about testing or your electrolyte needs. According to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, you can lose anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour of exercise, so if you’re working out for an extended period of time and/or in the heat, you can do your body some good by replenishing electrolytes lost with an electrolyte-enhanced fluid during or after your workout.  
 
Foods That Contain Electrolytes
To get your daily dose of electrolytes, you can also look to your kitchen staples. Sabat shared several foods that naturally contain electrolytes and can help maintain a healthy balance of essential minerals.
Sodium: sea salt, pickles, olives, celery, beets, anchovies
Potassium: bananas, oranges, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, yogurt
Calcium: dairy products (i.e. milk, cheese, yogurt), leafy greens (i.e. kale, broccoli), fortified plant-based milk, tofu
Magnesium: nuts and seeds (i.e. almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds), spinach, legumes, whole grains, dark chocolate
Chloride: table salt, seaweed, olives, tomatoes, lettuce
 
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Please consult a doctor or healthcare professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

Nutritionists Share 7 Simple Tricks To Effortlessly Boost Your Hydration More

While many factors can make the difference between a happy gut and one that gives you major digestive drama, probiotics have gotten all the glitz and glory for boosting gut health. But there’s an unsung hero of balancing the gut microbiome that counts benefits such as repairing gut lining, taming gut inflammation, and managing GI symptoms such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
A recent study measured how almonds (yes, almonds!) affect the gut, and found that a reason they were beneficial in improving gut symptoms and gut microbes was because they help to increase a specific microbiota compound called butyrate. Butyrate has been associated with several gut-friendly perks, with some experts even claiming butyrate is more effective than probiotics. So what is butyrate, and just how does it work its magic? Spoiler: The health benefits go beyond just the gut. I asked experts to give a crash course on butyrate, its benefits, and how we can get the most out of it. Gut healing ahead. 
 

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What is Butyrate?
“Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced through microbial fermentation of dietary fibers in the gut,” explained Dr. Sara Mesilhy, a gastroenterologist. Simply put, butyrate (AKA butyric acid) is a byproduct of our gut’s natural fermentation process. When we consume fiber-rich foods, our gut bacteria digest and break down the dietary fiber in the colon and produce butyrate. “Butyrate helps control inflammation, supports the integrity of the intestinal barrier, and regulates energy expenditure,” Dr. Mesilhy continued. Juliana Tamayo, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian, added that butyrate functions as an energy source for cells in your colon, essentially allowing them to function more effectively and allowing gut microbes to flourish and help maintain a balanced gut microbiome.

Health Benefits of Butyrate
So we already know that butyrate lends a helping hand to the gut, but its pros don’t stop there. Research suggests that the short-chain fatty acid butyrate has multiple beneficial effects on overall human health.

Improves gut health
“Butyrate helps regulate the growth and function of the cells lining the colon, known as colonic epithelial cells,” explained Mary Sabat, MS, RDN, LD, a nutritionist and ACE-certified personal trainer. In addition to promoting the health of the colon cells, Sabat cited that butyrate supports a balanced immune response and enhances the integrity of the gut barrier, reducing the likelihood of intestinal permeability and other forms of gut dysfunction, like leaky gut syndrome. What’s more, research found that enhanced production of butyrate encourages regular stool output (read: a well-functioning gastrointestinal system). 

Enhances sleep
“A healthier gut also means fewer problems sleeping,” Tamayo mentioned. In fact, a study suggests that butyrate is a sleep-promoting agent and plays a major role in sleep onset and sleep quality, inducing significant increases in non-rapid-eye movement sleep (NREMS) and the duration of deep sleep.

Reduces inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a major risk factor, which if unchecked, can eventually start damaging your healthy cells, tissues, and organs, leading to cell damage. And your gut microbiome is a key factor that regulates the level of inflammation, not only in your gut, but throughout your entire body. Enter butyrate. “Butyrate has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce inflammation in the gut,” Sabat affirmed. “It modulates immune cell activity and reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, potentially benefiting conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).”
 
Increases insulin sensitivity
Insulin sensitivity refers to how responsive your cells are to insulin, an essential hormone that controls your blood sugar levels. A person with low insulin sensitivity also has insulin resistance, or higher blood glucose levels, which can show up as anything from unhealthy weight to fatigue or dizziness to increased risk for prediabetes. “Butyrate may have a positive impact on metabolic health,” Sabat stated. “It can improve insulin sensitivity, enhance glucose metabolism, and help regulate appetite and body weight.” 
 
Supports brain health
The gut microbiome is deeply connected to the brain through the gut-brain axis, a bi-directional superhighway of communication between our brain and gut, linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with intestinal functions. Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate only add to their strong connection. After all, they are known to contribute to the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is essential for neuronal survival and growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity vital for learning and memory. According to Dr. Mesilhy, butyrate can protect the brain and improve its ability to adapt (also known as “plasticity”) thanks to its neuroprotective effects (read: safeguarding the central nervous system from neuronal damages caused by chronic or acute neurodegenerative diseases), thereby supporting its optimal health.

How to Get More Butyrate
Because the body produces butyrate when gut bacteria digest and break down dietary fiber in the colon, the simple way to get more butyrate is to eat more fiber (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes) to provide the necessary substrates for gut bacteria to produce butyrate (Sabat cautioned to gradually increase your fiber intake to allow your gut bacteria to adjust and avoid digestive discomfort).  
Sabat also explained that resistant starches (found in foods such as green bananas, potatoes, and legumes) can also be beneficial for producing butyrate because they’re not fully digested in the small intestine so they reach the colon, where they can be fermented into butyrate. Fermented foods (such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi) are also a key part of butyrate production because they contain beneficial bacteria that produce butyrate. In some cases, butyrate supplements (like this or this) may be used to support gut health. These supplements deliver butyrate directly to the colon, bypassing the need for bacterial fermentation. Talk to your doctor if you’re interested in supplementation–in most cases, your body can produce all the butyrate it needs on its own when you’re eating the right foods.

Please consult a doctor or a mental health professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

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