Electrolytes - What are They

In the world of chemistry, electrolytes are a substance that contain free ions which makes them electrically conductive in nature. The most common electrolyte is an ionic solution, although molten and solid electrolytes are also found. Electrolytes are nothing but minerals like sodium, potassium, etc. that get dissolved in the blood. When these dissolve, they split into smaller particles called ions. These ions are electrically charged, which means they either carry a positive charge or a negative charge. These charged ions produce electricity that help in the functioning of the bodies of human beings and animals. It would not be wrong to say that electrolytes are the batteries for a human or animal body. They are commonly found in solutions of acids and bases as well as in salts.

What Are Electrolytes

Electrolytes are important for the functioning of your body because they are used by your body to maintain voltages across the cell membranes and for carrying electrical impulses through themselves to the other cells in your body. The kidneys present in the body are responsible for maintaining the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood constant in spite of the major changes that take place in the body while carrying out any daily activity.

When you workout and sweat heavily, you feel tired because your body loses electrolytes like sodium and potassium. These need to be replaced to maintain the concentration of electrolytes in your bodily fluids. That is why, energy and sports drinks have a high electrolyte content in them. Similarly, when you suffer from severe diarrhea or any kind of vomiting, you actually lose electrolytes in the body. These should be replaced so as to prevent dehydration and seizures.

Your body requires certain specific levels of different chemical compounds to function properly. The most important electrolytes that your body needs are sodium, potassium and chloride. As far as human health goes, electrolytes aid in numerous body processes. A lot of heart and nerve processes, muscle coordination and your body's ability to absorb fluids depend on the concentration of this substance in your body. Calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and chloride are the most commonly found electrolytes in human body.

If you consume excessive electrolytes, your kidneys help in filtering them. The hormones present in the human body also help in regulation of the consumption of electrolytes. Consuming excessive or insufficient amounts of this substance like sodium can cause severe health issues like hyper or hyponatremia (excessive or insufficient levels of sodium) and hyperkalemia and hypokalemia (excessive and insufficient levels of potassium respectively). Eating disorders and serious alcoholism also causes an imbalance of electrolytes in the body.

Electrolytes act as key catalysts in numerous enzymatic reactions in the body, needed by the cells to convert proteins into amino acids and to produce other organic molecules. The pancreas in your body produce certain kind of enzymes and acids that help in breaking down the food so as to digest it. If you drink a soft drink that has high electrolyte content, 30 minutes prior to your meal, it will moisten and recharge the tissue lining around the digestive tract. Thus, when you have the meal, the membranes in your body and microorganisms get ready to digest food. It also helps in the process of absorption.

The nervous system of our body also requires electrolytes for its collective coordination. Due to the exchange of electrolytes like sodium and potassium ions through the nerve membrane, the nerve impulses are transmitted. Every nerve membrane is wrapped with long tendrils of protein. At the end of this tendril, a calcium ion is attached without which there can be no sense of smell, taste, vision, touch and even awareness. The vitamins, hormones and the enzymes that help in activating, regulating and synchronizing the nervous action, all need an electrolyte ion as a key factor in the structure of their reaction and for the synthesis. For example, a cobalt ion is essential for the pineal gland to produce melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps in regulation of neurological activity to determine the level of sleep or wakefulness. Electrolytes are also used for unlocking the energy flow in a cell. The electric sparks that produce fire, that you might have seen before are also caused due to the ions of the electrolytes.

The next time you keep a watch on your calorie intake, do not forget electrolytes are important too. Consume them wisely and take care.