Electrolytes: Helpful Health Tool or Just Another Wellness Trend?
- Gemma Westfold
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you've spent any time on social media recently, you've probably noticed that electrolytes are a big thing. In clinic, I'm asked about them all the time. I often start working with a client and they are already taking them.
Not too long ago they were associated with endurance athletes, sports drinks and anyone with diarrhoea. Now electrolyte powders and hydration sachets are now being promoted as the answer to everything from fatigue and brain fog to poor concentration, headaches and low energy. Influencers are adding them to ridiculously big water bottles, wellness brands are launching new formulas every week, and many people are wondering whether they should be taking them too.....
As with many health trends, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Electrolytes can be incredibly useful in certain situations, but they are not a magic solution and they're certainly not something everyone needs in large amounts every day.
As a Nutritional Therapist with a functional medicine approach, I always encourage people to look beyond the latest wellness trend and ask a more important question:
Why might your body need extra support in the first place?
What Are Electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water. The main electrolytes in the body include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride.
These minerals play essential roles in:
Maintaining fluid balance
Supporting nerve communication
Muscle contraction and relaxation
Heart function
Blood pressure regulation
Maintaining healthy pH levels
Transporting nutrients into cells and waste products out
In simple terms, electrolytes help your body move water to where it needs to be and allow your cells, muscles, nerves and organs to function properly.
When electrolyte levels become imbalanced, symptoms can include:
Fatigue
Brain fog
Dizziness
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Weakness
Palpitations
Tingling or numbness
Nausea
Even relatively small shifts in electrolyte balance can leave you feeling far from your best.
Why Are Electrolytes Suddenly So Popular?
Partly it's clever marketing, but if you ask me, it's more because many people genuinely don't feel well. We're all trying our best to be well with the information we are given.
Fatigue, dizziness, headaches, poor exercise recovery, brain fog and feeling "dehydrated" despite drinking plenty of water have become increasingly common complaints.
At the same time, awareness of conditions such as dysautonomia, POTS, post-viral syndromes and ME/CFS has increased. For some people with these conditions, carefully chosen electrolyte supplementation can genuinely make a significant difference.
What concerns me is that many people jump straight to the solution before asking the more important question that I'm happy to repeat again:
Why is my body struggling in the first place?
From a functional medicine perspective, symptoms are clues rather than inconveniences to suppress.
If someone feels they constantly need electrolytes to function, I want to understand why.
Are they eating enough nutrient-dense foods?
Are they chronically stressed?
How is their sleep?
What is their blood sugar regulation like?
Could hormones be playing a role?
Is gut dysfunction affecting nutrient absorption?
Are medications contributing?
Could there be low blood volume, autonomic dysfunction, post-viral illness or another underlying health issue?
Electrolytes may help support the body while we investigate these questions, but they should never replace asking them.
Hydration Is About More Than Water
Many people think hydration simply means drinking more water.
In reality, hydration depends on a complex interplay between water, electrolytes, hormones, kidney function, circulation, nutrition, movement and overall health.
Sodium, for example, plays a crucial role in fluid balance. Where sodium goes, water follows. This is one reason why excessive sodium intake can contribute to fluid retention, but it is also why sodium is essential for maintaining healthy blood volume and hydration.
Potassium works alongside sodium, helping regulate fluid distribution and supporting healthy blood pressure. Magnesium and calcium also play important roles in muscle and nerve function.
It's all about balance.
Too little can be problematic.
Too much can be equally problematic.
This is why hydration isn't simply a case of drinking more water or taking more electrolytes.
What About Fluid Retention?
Many people assume fluid retention means they're drinking too much water.
In reality, fluid retention is often far more complex.
Fluid retention, or oedema, occurs when fluid accumulates in the spaces between cells and tissues. Symptoms may include:
Swollen ankles, feet or hands
Puffiness
A feeling of heaviness
Bloating
Weight fluctuations
Brain fog
Headaches
Fatigue
Sometimes electrolyte imbalances can contribute to fluid retention, particularly when sodium and potassium are out of balance.
However, fluid retention can also be linked to:
Hormonal changes
Chronic stress
Inflammation
Poor circulation
Kidney issues
Heart conditions
Medication side effects
Liver dysfunction
Sedentary lifestyles
This is another example of why I always encourage people to look at the whole picture rather than searching for a quick fix.
Who Might Benefit From Electrolytes?
There are situations where electrolyte supplementation can be genuinely helpful.
These include:
Intense exercise lasting longer than an hour
Heavy sweating during hot weather
Recovery from vomiting or diarrhoea
Certain medical conditions affecting hydration and blood volume
Post-viral fatigue syndromes
Dysautonomia and POTS
ME/CFS
Low-carbohydrate diets where electrolyte losses may increase
Travel, particularly air travel
Sauna use
Personally, I use electrolytes because low blood volume is a common feature of ME/CFS.
For me, they can help support hydration, circulation and symptom management. However, I am very careful about the brand I choose, the ingredients included and the amount I take.
More is definitely not better.
Electrolytes should be used intentionally and according to individual needs, not because they're popular.
Not All Electrolyte Products Are Created Equal
One of the biggest issues I see is that many electrolyte products are marketed as health drinks when some are essentially flavoured sugar water with added minerals.
When choosing an electrolyte supplement, it's worth looking at:
Sugar content
Artificial sweeteners
Colourings and preservatives
The actual amounts of electrolytes provided
The balance between sodium, potassium and magnesium
The forms of minerals used
Many commercial electrolyte drinks contain surprisingly high amounts of sodium, while others contain very little of the minerals they advertise.
I generally prefer products that avoid excessive sugar, unnecessary additives and artificial ingredients, while providing meaningful amounts of electrolytes in forms the body can easily utilise.
As with food, reading labels matters.
Can You Get Electrolytes From Food?
Absolutely. In fact, this should be the foundation for most people.
One thing we've largely lost in the modern Western diet is the amount of water we used to consume through food. Historically, humans obtained significant amounts of hydration from fruits, vegetables, soups, stews and broths. Today many diets consist largely of packaged and processed foods that contain very little water but often large amounts of sodium.
Foods naturally rich in electrolytes include:
Potassium-rich foods
Bananas
Avocados
Watermelon
Pomegranate
Lentils
Beans
Leafy greens
Sweet potatoes
Magnesium-rich foods
Pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Cashews
Dark leafy greens
Cacao
Natural hydration foods
Cucumber
Watermelon
Berries
Citrus fruits
Soups
Bone broth
Coconut water
Perhaps one reason electrolyte drinks have become so popular is that we've moved so far away from the foods that naturally supported hydration in the first place.
Nature was providing hydration long before sachets existed.
Coconut Water: Nature's Electrolyte Drink
One of my favourite natural options is coconut water. It naturally contains potassium alongside smaller amounts of sodium, calcium and magnesium.
For people exercising intensely, recovering from illness or spending time in hot weather, coconut water can be a useful way to support hydration without relying solely on commercial products.
A simple homemade electrolyte drink can be made using:
Coconut water
Fresh lemon or lime juice
A small amount of raw honey
A pinch of good-quality sea salt
Simple often works surprisingly well.
Can You Have Too Many Electrolytes?
Absolutely.
This is the part of the conversation that often gets overlooked. Electrolytes are essential, but they are powerful minerals that the body regulates very carefully.
Too much can contribute to:
Fluid retention
Raised blood pressure
Digestive upset
Bloating
Headaches
Increased thirst
Kidney strain
Heart rhythm disturbances in susceptible individuals
Too much magnesium can cause diarrhoea.
Too much potassium may cause weakness, tingling or, in extreme cases, heart rhythm issues.
People with kidney disease, heart conditions or those taking certain medications should always seek professional advice before supplementing.
The goal is balance, not maximum intake.
The Functional Medicine Perspective
One of the biggest differences between a conventional and functional medicine approach is that we don't assume everyone needs the same thing.
Two people may both experience fatigue and dizziness.
One may benefit enormously from additional electrolytes because they have low blood volume and autonomic dysfunction.
The other may be experiencing blood sugar instability, nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep, chronic stress or hormonal imbalances.
The symptoms look similar.
The root causes are completely different.
This is why personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine matter so much.
The goal isn't to take what works for somebody else. The goal is to discover what your body needs.
There is no universal hydration formula. There is no perfect supplement for everyone.
Health is always individual.
Putting it all in to perspective
Electrolytes are neither miracle cures nor wellness scams.
They're a useful tool.
For some people - particularly athletes, those recovering from illness, individuals with excessive fluid losses, or people with conditions such as dysautonomia, POTS or ME/CFS - they can make a genuine difference.
But to repeat what I've already said, true health is rarely found in a sachet.
If you're relying on supplements to compensate for poor sleep, chronic stress, inadequate nutrition, hormonal imbalances or an undiagnosed health issue, you're treating the symptom rather than understanding the cause.
The real question isn't whether you need electrolytes.
The real question is what your body is trying to tell you.
That's where personalised nutrition and a whole-body approach become so valuable.
When we take the time to understand the root causes behind symptoms, we can create a plan that supports long-term health rather than simply chasing the latest wellness trend.
If you're struggling with fatigue, dizziness, fluid retention, digestive symptoms or unexplained health concerns, it may be time to look beyond supplements and explore what your body is trying to communicate. Through functional testing and personalised nutrition, we can uncover the root causes and create a plan tailored to your unique needs
If you simply want a Functional Medicine overview of your current health and priorities, including a comprehensive blood test, I also offer a one-off Wellness Check consultation.
Small changes, applied consistently and appropriately for your body, can have far-reaching effects.
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