Minerals are some of the most important nutrients you need to supply to your body. Because minerals can’t be produced by any of your cells or organs, you need to get them from nutritious foods and drinks.
Minerals play a vital role in keeping your body healthy and functioning optimally. Some minerals, like magnesium, are needed by enzymes to regulate the synthesis of important biomolecules and the functions of some organs. [1]
Other minerals, like iron and selenium, serve as components of proteins that fulfill critical functions. For example, hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein in your red blood cells, helps transport oxygen throughout your body. [2] Glutathione peroxidase, which contains selenium, is an antioxidant enzyme that protects your cells from harmful free radicals. [3]
Minerals also function as electrolytes, which are crucial for your nervous system and muscle function. When minerals dissolve in water or other bodily fluids, they gain an electrical charge. This electrical charge makes them useful to your nerve cells, which communicate by exchanging electrical signals, or nerve impulses. [4] Electrolytes help transmit these nerve impulses.
Electrolytes also facilitate the interaction between your nerves and muscles, which allows you to move your body. Acetylcholine, the chemical messenger that stimulates muscle contraction, is only released when there’s an influx of calcium. [5] Muscle relaxation, on the other hand, is triggered by the movement of yet another electrolyte, namely, magnesium. [6] Aside from these two, other important mineral electrolytes you should know about are sodium, potassium, chloride and phosphorus. [7]
Mineral electrolytes work together to fulfill another important function – i.e., they help your body maintain fluid balance. About 60% of your body is made up of water, and electrolytes help ensure that the concentration of water inside and outside of your cells is just right. [8] Without electrolytes, your cells could either burst from overhydration or shrivel up due to dehydration.
Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance during the colder months
Your body loses fluids and electrolytes through normal bodily functions. When you sweat, you release copious amounts of water as well as sodium and chloride. At the same time, you lose small amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium. [9] Your body also gets rid of excess electrolytes and fluid when you urinate. [10]
Because you sweat a lot when the weather is hot, it’s normal to be wary of dehydration and electrolyte loss during the summer. However, many people don’t worry about these and may even drink less once the cold weather sets in. But dehydration and electrolyte imbalance aren’t seasonal issues – in fact, you can suffer from both any time of the year, perhaps even more so during the colder months.
You may have noticed that in winter, you don’t feel the urge to drink as often as you do in summer. But this isn’t because you’re not sweating as much; as one study reveals, your body’s thirst mechanism just isn’t as reliable when the weather’s cold. And this actually increases your risk of getting dehydrated. [11]
Normally, your brain is quick to send warning signals when you need to replenish lost fluids. This is the time when your thirst sensation kicks in. But a study from the University of New Hampshire found that this warning system is hampered by changes that occur inside your body in response to cold stress. [12]
When you’re exposed to cold, your body tries to retain heat by narrowing your peripheral blood vessels, which constricts blood flow to your skin. [13] While this helps regulate your body temperature, it unfortunately blocks the release of the fluid-regulating hormone, arginine vasopressin, which leads to a decline in thirst. With your thirst mechanism impaired, you won’t feel the urgent need to hydrate even if you have to.
What makes this dangerous is that you’re forced to urinate more often when it’s cold even if you don’t drink a lot. This is another consequence of blood vessel constriction, which inevitably increases your blood pressure. To reduce this pressure, your kidneys are programmed to filter out excess fluid in your blood to try to reduce the volume of blood flowing. [14] This is why you frequently feel the urge to urinate when the temperature’s cold and why you’re also more likely to become dehydrated.
As if that isn’t enough, simply breathing cold air also makes you lose more water and electrolytes during the colder months. When you inhale, the air that you breathe in always gets humidified, and the water used for that is released when you exhale. [15] The amount of respiratory water you lose is determined by the difference in water vapor pressure between the saturated air in your lungs and ambient air. Because cold air contains considerably less water vapor, your body needs to use more water for humidification, resulting in more water and electrolytes lost. [16]
Sweating can also contribute to dehydration even in winter. Bundling up and piling on the layers excessively can cause you to sweat despite the cold weather. This, of course, will result in further losses in fluid and electrolytes. But because your thirst sensation is reduced, you might not know that your fluid and electrolyte levels need to be replenished!
An excellent way to support proper hydration and optimal electrolyte balance*
There are plenty of foods that you can eat to meet your body’s mineral and electrolyte needs. Organically grown plant-based foods, in particular, are the best and cleanest sources of these essential nutrients. Compared with crops grown using conventional farming practices, studies have found that organic produce contains higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, and lower levels of nitrates and pesticide residues. [17] This means that organic fruits and vegetables are not only more nutritious, but they are also safer to eat than their conventionally grown counterparts.
To maintain proper hydration and optimal electrolyte balance, follow a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of organically grown fruits and vegetables. You can also supplement this with healthy beverages that are naturally rich in sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium – four of the most important electrolytes for supporting fluid balance. Organic coconut water is a great example of this, and is considered the best natural alternative to commercial sports drinks. [18]
There’s also an equally safe and mineral-rich alternative: You can easily enrich your favorite drinks or even a glass of water with mineral electrolytes by adding a few drops of clean, lab-verified Electrolyte and Mineral Drops from the Health Ranger Store.
Health Ranger Select Electrolyte Drops is a pure, unadulterated formula sourced from Utah’s Great Salt Lake, which is known as a self-purifying ecosystem. Naturally distilled from the lake’s pristine waters using solar evaporation, this premium formula contains all four mineral electrolytes – i.e., chloride, magnesium, potassium and sodium – that your body needs to stay hydrated and maintain optimal fluid balance.
Health Ranger Select Electrolyte Drops virtually has no taste, so you don’t have to worry about adding it to your favorite shake, smoothie, juice or drinking water. It also contains no artificial ingredients, colors, flavors, chemicals, fillers or preservatives of any kind. What’s more, our premium electrolyte drop formula is extensively lab tested by our Consumer Wellness Center labs for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology, so you can be sure of its quality and purity.
For those who need a boost in hydration as well as mineral intake, we also offer Health Ranger Select Concentrated Mineral Drops. This mineral-rich formula contains more than 24 different trace minerals, which includes iron, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc, as well as mineral electrolytes like sodium, chloride and magnesium. Like our high-quality electrolyte drops, our mineral drops are derived from Utah’s pristine Great Salt Lake.
To retain the ionic properties of the minerals in Health Ranger Select Concentrated Mineral Drops, we concentrated this formula using only sunshine and a natural evaporation process. This means no destructive processing or artificial heat was involved. It also has no taste, so it’s relatively easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Simply add a few drops to your drinking water, juice, post-workout shake or smoothie to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
Our Health Ranger Select Concentrated Mineral Drops formula is non-GMO, certified Kosher, Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and adheres to GMP standards for FDA compliance. It is also meticulously lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology.
Stay hydrated and maintain optimal electrolyte balance with our clean, lab-verified electrolyte drops and concentrated mineral drops!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any diseases.
References
[2] https://www.ucsfhealth.org
[3] https://ojrd.biomedcentral.com
[4] https://www.healthline.com
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[9] https://www.acefitness.org
[10] https://my.clevelandclinic.org
[14] https://arkansasurology.com
[15] https://www.utmb.edu
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[17] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[18] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
