IS DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER HOLDING YOU BACK?
Copyright by Thomas Delauer Many of you know that I sit on the clinical advisory board for a cou-
These charged particles make muscles contract, which includes your
ple of companies. One of which is a company that is absolutely on
heart beat, are responsible for nerve function, such as the cognition
the cutting edge when it comes to research of minerals, which has
in your brain that is based on these nerve impulses, and keep fluid
allowed me to dive head first into a lot of science when it comes to
balance in control
electrolytes, and magnesium specifically. www.JigsawHealth.com
Electrolytes are lost when you sweat and can fall out of balance if you consume too much or too little water. You have probably no-
ticed the salty taste of sweat – this is due to the excretion of sodi-
Can we have too much water?
um, a positively charged electrolyte, when you sweat. We all know that water consumption is crucial when it comes to our health. When we are born, 75% of our weight is water, falling to 55% once elderly.
What are the Warning Signs? So how can you tell if your electrolytes are out of balance? You may
With more of our body water than anything else, drinking water is unquestionably important. But while you often hear that you need to drink plenty of water, is there a situation where you can have too much of a good thing?
experience muscle cramps, including abdominal cramping, fatigue and headache, irregular heartbeat, lethargy and even mood irregularities, such as irritability and confusion. Kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance in the body. If
The answer to this question is yes. While you do want to drink
enough water to avoid hydration and keep everything in your body running well, you also want to not drink so much water to throw off your electrolyte balance.
you consume water faster than the kidneys can excrete it, you can
experience hyposmolarity. This is when the electrolytes in your blood become diluted. Hyposmolarity is most common during long periods of exercise or
Okay, but What ARE Electrolytes?
heat exposure, when your body tells you that you need water and you consume large amounts in a short period of time. An imbalance
What are electrolytes? Simply put, they are chemicals or nutrients
can also occur when you get sick – if you have diarrhea you are ex-
that hold a charge when dissolved in water. In your body electro-
creting both water and electrolytes.
lytes are responsible for making sure that the electrical signals in the body work properly. They work through their positively and negatively charged ions, which signal nerve communication.
One way to minimize this is the consume electrolytes either in or with your water. Drinks like coconut water and watermelon juice are natural options of drinks containing both water and healthy,
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