Spotting & addressing common electrolyte imbalances
As previously mentioned, your body requires electrolytes for a range of bodily processes. How an electrolyte imbalance affects your health — and how quickly you notice symptoms — depends on which electrolytes are being affected, and how high or low your levels are.
Find out what specific electrolytes do for your body, signs you may be suffering an imbalance, and which electrolyte-rich foods you can eat to get your levels back on track. (
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Potassium
Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) may not cause any noticeable symptoms at first, but they can affect how your body is storing glycogen and cause abnormal
heart rhythms. You may notice muscle weakness, cramps, paralysis,
respiratory problems, and spasms. And if symptoms continue, you may even start to experience kidney problems. High potassium levels, on the other hand, are only likely to trigger abnormal heart rhythms and muscle weakness. (
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Foods high in potassium
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Beans
- Dried fruits
- Kale
- Spinach (32)
Sodium
Sodium is an essential electrolyte responsible for the changes in electrical charge of the nerve cell membranes that generate nerve impulses. When sodium crosses the nerve cell membrane, a chain reaction is set off that moves more sodium ions along the length of the nerve cell axon. (
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Low sodium, or hyponatremia, causes water to move into cells. High levels of sodium, also called hypernatremia, causes fluid to move out of the cells. Both high and low levels of sodium can cause headaches, confusion,
fatigue, and personality changes. If sodium levels drop drastically, it can even result in seizures, coma, and death. (
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Foods high in sodium
- Broth
- Pickles
- Salted nuts
- Smoked or cured meat or fish
- Soy sauce (18)
Calcium
Calcium is a crucial electrolyte required for muscle contraction. It helps your body’s muscle fibers slide together and move over each other as the muscles contract. (
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Low calcium (hypocalcemia) levels that are chronically low can trigger changes in your hair, nails, and
skin. You may also notice an uptick in yeast infections and cataracts. As levels continue to be depleted, you may notice muscle cramps in your legs and back. More severe symptoms include muscle spasms, spasms of the larynx, and seizures. (
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Conversely, high levels of calcium could result in loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, emotional mood swings, delirium, and confusion.
Foods high in calcium:
- Calcium-fortified cereals
- Cheese
- Milk
- Soy
- Yogurt (53)
Magnesium
Your body needs magnesium to maintain a fluid balance in the body through osmosis. This mineral is also required in the process of muscle contraction.
Magnesium helps with calcium reuptake, helping your muscle fibers slide and relax after contraction. (
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Low levels of magnesium may result in symptoms similar to low calcium or potassium levels. And extremely low levels can be life-threatening. High levels can also be dangerous, triggering low
blood pressure, breathing problems, and heart problems such as cardiac arrest. (
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Foods high in magnesium
- Almonds
- Kale
- Lentils
- Peanut butter
- Spinach
- Whole grains (30)
Chloride
Chloride is an electrolyte responsible for helping the body maintain fluid balance, blood pressure, blood volume, and body pH levels. Typically grouped alongside sodium, chloride is commonly found in table salt and other processed foods. We lose chloride in high concentrations when we sweat. (
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Low chloride levels may occur following extended vomiting and intake of diuretic medications to treat fluid retention. High levels of chloride often result from kidney disease or
diarrhea but don’t cause any typical symptoms. (
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Foods high in chloride
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Olives
- Rye
- Seaweed
- Table salt
- Tomatoes (38)
Phosphate
Phosphate plays a vital role in
metabolic pathways, DNA formation, and is essential for the creation of bone and teeth. Our bones contain around 85% of the body’s phosphate content. (
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Low phosphate levels can cause muscle weakness, respiratory failure, seizures, and coma. A phosphate imbalance can be triggered by poor nutrition, gastrointestinal disorders, diuretic medications, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), alcoholism, and severe burns. (
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Foods high in phosphorus
