Skip to content
Salt-Based Vs. Plant-Based Electrolytes: Which Is Better?
|
Read Time 5 min
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Most electrolyte drinks and powders use salt-based electrolytes: minerals that are bound to oppositely charged substances to form a neutral, stable compound.
Salt-based minerals are inexpensive and easy to produce, which makes them popular with the vast majority of electrolyte producers. But mineral salts also have several downsides that make them an ineffective choice for replenishing electrolytes.
A superior option is plant-based electrolytes, which have greater bioavailability and contain the full spectrum of electrolytes your body needs.
Let’s compare salt-based and plant-based electrolytes and talk about why the latter are a better choice for staying hydrated.
The Problems with Salt-Based Electrolytes
Salt-based electrolytes are the default for most companies. You’ll find them in all the popular brand-name sports drinks and electrolyte powders. They’re cheap and easy to produce and they also mix well with flavorings, sweeteners, and colors.
From a performance standpoint, however, salt-based electrolytes have a few drawbacks.
www.AdobeStock.com
Poor Absorption
When you take electrolytes in salt form your body can’t absorb them well. You can increase absorption dramatically by including glucose, which drives salt-bound electrolytes into your cells. [ * ]
That’s why most electrolyte supplements contain sugar—but if you don’t want a bunch of sugar and you choose a sugar-free supplement, you aren’t absorbing much of what you take.
Poor Solubility
Mineral salts vary a great deal when it comes to solubility. Some dissolve easily into liquid, while others remain separate if you add too much of them.
Sodium salts have very high solubility. They dissolve very well in water, and if you look at the labels of most electrolyte supplements, you’ll see huge quantities of sodium, sometimes up to 1000 mg. Those numbers look impressive at a glance and convince a lot of people to buy the product.
The problem is that we don’t need more sodium. The average American already gets 160% of their daily recommended amount, according to a 2019 study by the CDC. [ * ]
What we do need are potassium (97% of Americans are deficient [ * ]) and magnesium (60% of Americans are deficient [ * ]). They’re the most essential electrolytes for mineral balance—but they’re hard to dissolve in salt form, so you usually only see them in token amounts (around 5-15% of your daily requirement). Adding more would cause them to come out of solution and pile up at the bottom of a drink in solid form.
The Benefits of Plant-Based Electrolytes
Plant-based electrolytes are derived from humate, a component of deep soil. Humate forms over thousands of years, as freshwater plants break down and deposit their nutrients into the ground. The minerals and phytocompounds in those plants aggregate and form into a dark-colored crystalline substance—that’s humate.
Humate is exceptionally rich in minerals, including electrolytes. But what sets humate apart are the plant compounds in it. They’re called humic and fulvic substances: large, porous molecules that bind to minerals in unique ways.
When humic and fulvic attach to electrolytes, they form complexes that make the electrolytes much easier to absorb.
For example, a 2015 study found that fulvic substances made magnesium 74% more bioavailable and calcium 104% more bioavailable . [ * ]
A 2018 review noted that both humic and fulvic substances significantly increased absorption of potassium, magnesium, and calcium , and also sped up their delivery to the gut. [ * ]
The other benefit is that humate-complexed minerals have no problem dissolving in liquid, which allows for electrolyte supplements that provide balanced replenishment, instead of huge amounts of sodium and not enough of the minerals you really need.
www.AdobeStock.com
www.AdobeStock.com
Upgrade Your Hydration with Plant-Based Electrolytes
If you want to upgrade your electrolytes, try switching to Electrolyze . It’s a plant-based electrolyte supplement that contains every electrolyte your body needs, in the right ratios. And because it’s derived from humate it has superior bioavailability: all you need is a single capful each morning to replenish all your electrolytes at once.
If you’ve been using salt-based electrolyte drinks or powders, give Electrolyze a try. You may be surprised by how much better it makes you feel.
Related Blogs
Related Products
FAQs
Can I take BEAM Minerals with my other supplements?
Yes, in fact, BEAM Minerals will enhance the bioavailability of all your other supplements.
What is the difference between Micro-BOOST™ and Electrolyze™?
Electrolyze™ is primarily composed of Fulvic Mineral Complexes . Fulvic complexes are small molecules that provide inter-cellular transport for nutritional elements into the cells and carry bio-waste out of the cells. Fulvic complexes are flavonoids , which provide many benefits in the body.
Micro-BOOST™ is primarily composed of the Humic Mineral Complexes . Humic complexes are large molecules that are extra-cellular, meaning they do not enter the cells but stay outside the cells. They are highly-charged molecules that attract, through their electrical charge, bio-waste, free radicals and heavy metals. They ultimately carry bio-waste out of the body. Thus, we call them “Nature’s Janitor”.
How many milligrams (mg) of an electrolyte (Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium, etc.) is there in BEAM Minerals?
The quantities of each element in BEAM Minerals products are measured in “parts per million” (ppm), rather than the “milligrams” (mg). Here is the information which usually helps to understand the difference:
Milligrams (mg) vs parts per million (ppm)
In comparing our products to other supplements, people want to know how much of an electrolyte is in our products (like potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium). Usually they are looking for an amount in milligrams (mg).
We have a hard time answering that question, because the electrolytes (and other elements) in BEAM Minerals products are measured in parts per million (ppm). So how can consumers compare?
The answer is a little complex, but here’s the high points.
The electrolytes in BEAM Minerals products are provided in “trace” amounts that are completely dissolved and thus 100% bio-available, immediately introduced into your circulation when you consumed them and will produce and active effect.
When you take a 320mg pill of magnesium, your body is only able utilize about 12-20% of it as it takes some time because your body has to digest it first. Whatever is not dissolved gets processed out of your body.
When you take a capful of liquid Electrolyze™ and/or Micro-BOOST™, you receive approximately 5.22 ppm of magnesium in which 100% of the magnesium is immediately available to your body. In addition, an important to know is that the magnesium in BEAM Minerals products stay in your system much longer building up healthy levels as you continue to take it daily.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. This content should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition or health issue. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
