How to drink electrolytes affects your blood pressure

Electrolyte drinks and tablets, used to replace electrolytes (loaded minerals such as sodium and potassium) after heavy sweating or diarrhea, can affect your blood pressure. Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, while increasing potassium intake can relax blood vessels and help lower blood pressure, but your health also influences these effects.

Jump at the main dishes to remember.

How do electrolytes affect blood pressure?

Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium which are electrically loaded when dissolved in water. Coming mainly from food and drinks, these electrolytes play an important role in many bodily functions, in particular the balance of fluids, nerve and muscle function and acid-base balance (pH).

Electrolytes also play a central role in your blood pressure, contributing to different ways and distinct:

• Sodium: Naturally found in salt, sodium is crucial to regulate the balance of fluids. It acts like a magnet, attracting water to cells when blood concentrations are low and draw the water from cells when blood concentrations are high. Taking too much sodium can cause liquid retention, causing an increase in blood volumes with blood pressure.
• Potassium: Naturally found in many fruits, vegetables and dairy products, potassium aid vasodilatationhelping the blood vessels to relax. In doing so, the blood circulation is increased and the blood pressure is reduced. Potassium thwarts and balances the effects of sodium in the body, helping to maintain optimal blood pressure.
• Calcium: Found naturally in dairy products and other foods, calcium plays a central role in vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels). While calcium enters smooth muscle cells into the walls of blood vessels, this makes them contract, increasing blood pressure.
• Magnesium: Derived from many food sources, magnesium helps balance the effects of calcium by blocking its entry into smooth muscle cells in the walls of blood vessels. It also stimulates the release of nitric oxide and prostaglandinsWho are both powerful vasodilators.

Quantity of electrolytes in electrolyte drinks

Beyond the electrolytes that occur naturally in food, electrolytes can come from commercial oral rehydration (gold) and electrolyte tablet solutions, as well as certain sports drinks.

Golds and electrolyte tablets are mainly used to combat dehydration by reconstructing lost diarrhea, vomiting or excessive sweating. Excessive loss of electrolytes can cause muscle cramps, weakness, an irregular heart rate, convulsions and a potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure.

The types and quantity of electrolytes, measured in milligrams (MG), can vary depending on the product. Examples include:

• Pedialyte Classic Without Dressing: 1,030 mg of sodium, 780 mg of potassium per liter
• Normal rehydration healths: 862 mg of sodium, 750 mg of potassium per 500 milliliters (ML), reconstituted
• Pedialyte Electrolyte Wark: 240 mg of sodium, 140 mg of potassium per 360 ml bottle
• Normal pure capsules: 500 mg of sodium, 100 mg of potassium by two capsules
• Effervescent Hydralytes tablets: 138 mg of sodium, 78 mg of potassium per tablet
• Gatrade effervescent tablets: 220 mg of sodium, 70 mg of potassium per tablet
• Nunn Sport Electrolyte Tablets: 300 mg of sodium, 150 mg of potassium, 25 mg of calcium, 13 mg of magnesium per oral tablet
• Powerade: 480 mg of sodium, 150 mg of potassium per 710 ml bottle
• Gatorade soak: 380 mg of sodium, 110 mg of potassium per 360 ml bottle

Effect of electrolytic drinks on blood pressure

Although consumption of a daily electrolytic drink is sure for most healthy individuals, this is generally not necessary. This could be detrimental to people with pre -existing health problems. This is particularly true when sodium (and, to a lesser extent, potassium) is overconsumed.

Sodium

In the United States, health authorities generally advise adults to limit their daily sodium contribution to no more than 2,300 mg per day. For this reason, the consumption of sports drinks like Powerade is worrying, because a portion represents around 20% of your daily contribution.

Some health problems can also force you to reduce consumption to less than 1,500 mg per day, in particular:

Children also have lower recommendations, ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 mg, depending on age.

Potassium

The recommended daily supply of potassium is 2,600 mg for adult women and 3,400 mg for adult men. If you try to prevent or treat high blood pressure, the American Heart Association recommends croissant The daily dose at 3,500 to 5,000 mg.

Unlike sodium, obtaining too much potassium in your diet is generally not worrying. However, a reduction to 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day can be recommended for people with advanced stadium CKD due to the risk of hyperkalemia (High potassium).

When is electrolyte supplementation necessary?

ORS and electrolyte tablets are indicated for first -line treatment of dehydration caused by diarrhea and vomiting, especially in children or people with travelers diarrhea who are vulnerable to complications.

These products are also effective in treating light to moderate dehydration. In case of severe dehydration, intravenous liquids may be necessary.

People with hypertension, heart failure, Addison disease or uncontrolled diabetes should consult a health care provider before using these products for purposes other than they are intended.

Alternative sources

In addition to commercial rehydration products, other drinks can be used to rehydrate after sweat training. These tend to have lower sodium than sports drinks and provide higher doses of magnesium and calcium:

• Orange juice: 2.5 mg of sodium, 496 mg of potassium, 27 mg of magnesium, 27 mg of calcium per portion of 240 ml (a cup)
• Silk Original de Soy: 90 mg of sodium, 380 mg of potassium, 50 mg of magnesium, 450 mg of calcium per portion of 240 ml
• Vita Coco Coco Eau: 30 mg of sodium, 979 mg of potassium, 37 mg of magnesium per cardboard of 240 ml
• Tomato juice with low sodium content of Campbell: 140 mg of sodium, 885 mg of potassium, 26 mg of calcium per portion of 240 ml

Main to remember

• Electrolyte drinks and tablets used for oral hydration can negatively affect your blood pressure, especially if the sodium content is high.
• However, rehydration products rich in potassium can have the opposite effect, forcing the impact of sodium.
• Although generally safe, daily consumption of electrolytic drinks is generally not necessary and is discouraged in people with high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or heart failure.