Electrolytes are positively and negatively charged minerals that allow your blood and other body fluids to become electrically conductive. Electrolytes can include such minerals as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphate, as well as many others. Their main purposes are to regulate fluid distribution, blood acidity, blood pressure, muscle functions and nerve activity. A well-balanced diet should supply all of the electrolytes that a healthy adult needs.
Sources
Plant-based foods are typically the best source of electrolytes in the human diet because plants take up minerals directly from the soil. The recommended intake of nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables will contain most of the necessary electrolytes. Dairy is also nutritionally rich and contains a few different electrolytes; for example, it's the primary source of calcium for most people. It is possible to consume electrolytes from a wide variety of fish, such as halibut and sardines, but in general animal meat is less adept at delivering these essential minerals.
Foods
Potassium and magnesium are present in many of the same foods, such as nuts, bananas, soybeans, avocados, bran, potatoes and chocolate. Chloride is primarily found in seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery and olives. Sodium is the most common electrolyte due to the ubiquity of salt in the American diet. Just about any kind of processed food, from burgers to oatmeal, will have some sodium in it. The average American male consumes between 3.1 and 4.7 g of sodium per day, while the average American female consumes 2.3 to 3.1 g per day.
Compounds
It is also common for two electrolytes to be joined together into one compound. For example, the combination of sodium chloride makes up most table salt and sea salt. Potassium chloride is found in many foods, from fruits to dairy products; it's also the main ingredient of salt substitutes.
Considerations
While some minerals, such as the calcium in bones, are stored somewhere in the human body, many electrolytes are actually lost through vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, burns or wounds. This can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which is a serious and life-threatening condition. Electrolytes should be an important part of every meal, and, if the loss of electrolytes is severe enough, this replacement needs to occur immediately. Athletes are often most at risk for an electrolyte imbalance, which is why sports drinks contain electrolytes, though they are primarily intended for endurance events lasting more than an hour.
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