Skip The Supplements: Expert Explains How To Get 5 Essential Electrolytes From Food

What comes to your mind when you first hear the word ‘electrolyte’? You must be thinking of packaged electoral drinks, right? These are one of the preferred drinks, especially in summer or whenever someone feels low in energy. But did you know that you get electrolytes from Natural sources as well. Natural electrolytes are essential minerals — sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. These five electrolytes are found in whole foods and drinks. They are crucial and help regulate hydration, nerve, and muscle function. Wondering how you can get these natural electrolytes from real food? Then read this article till the end.

To get an expert view on this, we reached out to Dr Pooja Pillai, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore.

Why Does Your Body Need Natural Electrolytes? 

Shedding more light on what these five electrolytes are, Dr Pillai shares, “Your body needs five main electrolytes every day to stay active, hydrated, and healthy. These are – sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. You can get all of them easily from real, natural foods.”

The expert adds, “You do not always need sports drinks to maintain electrolyte balance. This is because most daily needs can be met through a simple diet that includes fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and enough water.”

Dr Pillai continues, “If you sweat a lot in summer, exercise heavily, or have vomiting or diarrhea, your body may lose more electrolytes. So eating balanced meals with natural foods and drinking fluids like coconut water, lemon water with a pinch of salt, and buttermilk can help restore balance safely and naturally.”

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What Are The Natural Sources Of Electrolytes?

On this note, Dr Pillai shares some real food sources of electrolytes:

• Sodium – Ithelps control fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle movement. You can get it from table salt, rock salt, pickles, buttermilk with salt, soups, coconut water, and naturally from foods like beetroot and celery.
• Potassium – It supports heart health, muscle function, and prevents cramps. You can get it from bananas, tender coconut water, oranges, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, curd, and lentils.
• Calcium – It keeps bones and teeth strong and helps muscles and nerves work properly. You can get it from milk, curd, paneer, ragi, sesame seeds (til), almonds, green leafy vegetables like amaranth, and small fish with bones.
• Magnesium – It supports muscle relaxation, energy production, and good sleep. You can get it from nuts like almonds and cashews, seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, whole grains, spinach, and beans.
• Chloride – It works with sodium to maintain fluid balance and helps digestion by forming stomach acid. You can get it mainly from salt (since salt is sodium chloride), sea salt, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, and celery.

The Final Word

Your body needs five main electrolytes every day to stay active, hydrated, and healthy. These are – sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. You can get all of them easily from real, natural foods such as green vegetables, sweet potatoes, spinach, seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, whole grains, among others.

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