Sodium and Sensibility, Part 2: The Goldilocks Effect
Key Takeaways
Electrolyte deficits are situational: In healthy individuals, low electrolyte levels rarely happen during normal daily activities. They typically occur from drinking extreme amounts of water (overriding thirst cues), profuse sweating in hot or desert environments, or during endurance sports.
Hydration comes from food, too: Fluid balance is not just about drinking plain water; many foods contribute to daily hydration.
Supplements cannot replace real food: You cannot out-engineer a heavily processed diet by simply adding supplemental potassium; whole, minimally processed foods provide the natural mineral balance the body requires.
Welcome back, dear reader!
This time, we’re talking about hitting that just-right balance of nutrition. Along the way, we’ll answer these burning questions:
What happens if we don’t get enough electrolytes (and the situations we might find ourselves in where this is relevant)?
What happens if we get too much electrolytes?
Am I in a group of people who should be cautious about electrolytes?
Before we get too far into the weeds on the science, a bit of a disclaimer:
The following information assumes fully functioning kidneys and no pathologies around electrolyte balance (i.e. no Ehlers Danlos syndrome [EDS], hypermobility spectrum disorders [HSD], or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome [POTS]). These groups should consult with their medical team on specific recommendations/warning signs for them.
Thanks for bearing with me through all that.
So… generally speaking, and assuming functioning kidneys and none of those pathologies, what happens if someone doesn’t get enough electrolytes? Most often, this doesn’t come up unless someone is consuming a truly incredible amount of water.
I’m talking purely-clear-urine-all-day-long. I’m talking over a gallon of water per day. I’m talking override of ones’ natural thirst satiation cues. It’s a lot of hydration, often unnecessarily so.
The other time a lack of electrolytes might come up is if someone is profusely sweating in a hot/dry place for an extended period of time… or hiking in a desert environment for more than a brief walk.
And some folks make extra-salty sweat. You’ll typically know if this is you if your baseball hats and backpacks end up with a strong white cast on them after you’ve done some physical activity in a dry place. That strong white cast is actually salt deposit.
At this point, you may be thinking that this doesn’t sound familiar to you.
You drink some water each day, but not an amount that shocks those around you. Your urine is pale yellow. You had no idea what I was talking about with that “white cast” on hats and backpacks.
And you might be asking yourself “am I ever in a situation when I need electrolytes? Am I actually better hydrated than I think?” and the answer is… unless you’re doing endurance events or desert hiking, and as long as your urine is pale yellow, you might be doing just fine.
And fun note about hydration: it’s not just about drinking water. It’s also about food - fruits and vegetables hydrate us. Contrary to caffeine buzzkills, coffee and tea do count towards hydration. Soup counts! Pot roast counts! Popsicles count!
That’s all well and good but what happens if we don’t get enough electrolytes?
So let’s say you are doing an endurance event, desert hiking, or find yourself having salt deposits on your active-wear - you may be a candidate for extra electrolyte need.
And if someone in those situations didn’t consume enough electrolytes, they may start experiencing symptoms of hyponatremia (not enough sodium) or hypokalemia (not enough potassium).
Symptoms of hyponatremia include:
Fatigue
Irritability
Headache
Muscle weakness
Confusion
Symptoms of hypokalemia include:
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Tingling or numbness
Heart palpitations
Upon reading this, it’s reasonable to think “these are terrible. I want nothing to do with these. I’m absolutely using electrolytes all the time. After all, she said that the kidneys are just going to get rid of what I don’t need anyways.”
That brings us to our next question:
What happens if we get too much electrolytes?
In the short term? Nothing. A high sodium day here or there is totally fine, and yes, healthy kidneys can absolutely handle it.
Too much sodium, day after day, without enough potassium to balance it out - that’s what can contribute to problems over time, like high blood pressure.
And high blood pressure doesn’t sound that serious. I think we can all list a lot of people in our lives that are living with high blood pressure. It’s super common. And again, it’s not the kind of thing that is a big deal to happen to us on occasion. Life happens, our blood pressure is going to go up from time to time. But the problem is when it’s high all the time.
When blood pressure is high all the time, it’s like a fire hose always being on. It stresses our blood vessels, making them feel like they’re going to crack and break. To protect themselves from cracking, the blood vessels thicken and harden. The harder the “tube”, the less able it is to respond to changes in pressure. So the problem just makes itself worse over time.
And then eventually the blood vessel cracks… and sometimes that happens in the brain (a stroke). It’s why high blood pressure is often referred to as “the silent killer”.
And, plaque builds up, narrowing the tube further. Narrower tube + same blood volume = higher pressure. Higher stress on the heart. Heart attacks.
One more thing - you know all those really tiny blood vessels around the body?The ones in the feet, hands, eyes, kidneys? Those all get busted out too - meaning potential blindness and irreversible kidney damage.
Woof. Sorry. That got scary. Ok… um… what kind of diet leads to high sodium and low potassium (and therefore high blood pressure)?
A diet where the vast majority, day after day, consists of processed foods. I think of processed foods like the foods that have departed far from their natural form. It’s not like processed foods are bad - it’s just that when they are the primary source of calories, a lot of nutrition is missed and out of balance.
And you may be thinking… “ok I’ll just get more potassium, I’ll sprinkle potassium on my food.” Again, not that simple. I’ll just say this: you can’t outsmart or out-engineer your body’s need for whole foods with balanced nutrition. It’s a waste of your time and energy. Just enjoy mostly real foods in balance.
Shameless plug: if you’re having trouble making actionable changes in eating more real food, schedule a free meet and greet call with me. Let’s talk.
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
- Michael Pollan
Let’s finish this out on a productive note:
Am I in a group of people who should be cautious about electrolytes?
Yes. Because everyone has a reason to think about electrolytes:
People protecting their blood pressure risk
Endurance athletes
Athletes who lose a lot of salt
Desert hikers
Living with kidney disease (any stage)
People living with certain diseases who have to consume electrolytes for hydration balance (as listed at the beginning of the article)
I’m thinking that everyone reading this can see themselves in at least one of these categories.
And if you’re interested in an electrolyte powder to add to your water, talk to your doctor about if you’re cleared for it. If you are cleared for it… tune into part 3 for guidance on where to start!
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If your urine is pale yellow, you drink when you are thirsty, and you aren't doing prolonged endurance exercise or spending hours sweating in dry heat, your fluid balance is likely well-managed by your regular diet.
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No. Contrary to popular belief, caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea contribute positively to your total daily fluid intake, alongside water and water-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and soups.
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Hyponatremia is an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the blood, characterized by headaches, confusion, fatigue, and irritability. Hypokalemia is an abnormally low concentration of potassium, which often presents as muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, and heart palpitations.
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No. Trying to out-engineer a diet high in processed foods by supplementing potassium is ineffective. The body relies on the complex nutritional balance found in whole, minimally processed foods to maintain proper mineral levels naturally.
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Chronic high pressure acts like a continuously running fire hose against blood vessel walls. To prevent rupture, vessels thicken and stiffen, losing their flexibility. This elevated pressure damages tiny microvessels in the eyes, kidneys, and extremities, while increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
