We’re losing electrolytes all the time - in sickness and in health. Of course, as we go about our lives, we also replenish them with what we eat and drink. We all know (or should know!) that drinking lots of water is a good tip for promoting overall health, but is it always enough?

What if there was a way to go about rehydration that left us feeling great and more energized than ever, especially if we were recovering from strenuous exercise, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or particularly hot and dry environments?

So, to understand how feeling better is tied to smarter rehydration, we have to understand the key role of electrolytes.

Electrolytes are essential minerals that are vital to many important functions in our body. ^[1] These substances have a natural positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water, and since an adult's body is about 60% water, nearly every cell in our body contains electrolytes. The electrical charges within electrolytes help with chemical reactions, especially those that are concerned with hydration and the balance of fluids. ^[2]

Before we delve into how to smartly restore the electrolytes we lose, let’s look at some common electrolytes and their functions:

Sodium: plays a crucial role in helping the cells in our body maintain the right balance of fluids, and also helps the cells absorb nutrients

Magnesium: helps our cells turn nutrients into energy

Potassium: used alongside sodium, this is critical to heart function

Calcium: builds strong bones and teeth, and helps controls muscles and transmit signals in our nerves

Chloride: also helps in balancing fluids and maintaining our bodies natural pH balance

Phosphate: aids in the transportation of chemical compounds and molecules outside our cells, and to metabolize nutrients ^[3]

Now that we’ve understood what electrolytes are and just how important their work is, let’s look at what happens when we run out – i.e. Dehydration.

To put it simply, dehydration occurs when our bodies lose more fluid than what we take in. When this happens, the normal water content in our bodies is reduced, which upsets the balance of minerals - salts and sugar - in the body, affecting bodily functions. ^[4]

While there are absolutely no doubts about the many benefits that drinking water provides to the human body, just water by itself is not enough to replenish essential minerals and electrolytes that your body is losing when you experience heavy sweating ^[5] because of prolonged exercise, being outdoors, or when you get sick, have diarrhea, stomach flu or fever.

Dehydration can happen to anyone, although some people are at a greater risk - including older adults and young children. Travelers may also be at risk of dehydration if they contract illnesses such as traveler’s diarrhea or food poisoning. ^[6]

Smarter rehydration, however, isn’t limited to just extreme occurrences like illnesses, heavy exercise, or sun exposure (heatstroke). It also applies to a better way to:

• Recover from aches or illnesses
• Prevent dehydration

And this is where Electrolyte Gastro® comes in. For adults & Children, it’s a balanced and effective solution to restore your body's pH and electrolytes including sodium, potassium and chloride lost through diarrhea, vomiting, a hot or dry environment, heavy sweating due to fever and strenuous or prolonged exercise. Available in a convenient single-serving sachet format that makes it easy to keep handy whether at home or on the go, you can also enjoy it in two flavours - Orange and Tropical Punch.

These products may not be right for you. Please read and follow the label before use for a list of contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse reactions.

Electrolyte Gastro ® is the registered trademarks of Norwell Consumer Healthcare Inc.

References

1. Cedars Sinai -
   https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/electrolytes.html
2. Cleveland Clinic -
   https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes
3. NHS UK -
   https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/dehydration
4. Georgia State University -
   https://recreation.gsu.edu/2020/06/25/the-importance-of-electrolytes/
5. Mayo Clinic -
   https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086