Minerals: Their Function and Role in Fasting
You’ve probably heard your doctor or nutritionist say that some foods are an “excellent source of vitamins and minerals.” We all know what vitamins are, but what about minerals? They are key to regulating many of our bodily functions, from making new DNA to strengthening our bones. While we don’t need large amounts of minerals, they’re necessary for maintaining proper fluid balance, nerve function, metabolism, and more.
When we intermittently fast, we cycle between periods of eating and fasting to help rebalance our hormones and insulin levels. However, without a steady stream of minerals, it’s easy to fall behind on our bodies’ needs. In this article, we’ll discuss the roles that minerals play, what happens to their levels during fasting, and some key benefits of maintaining a healthy balance.
What Are Minerals (Electrolytes)?
Minerals are key substances we get from our diets that our cells and muscles need to function properly. There are two main types of minerals — macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals, also known as electrolytes, are substances that have a positive or negative charge when dissolved in water.
There are six electrolytes that play a role in nearly all of our bodily functions. These include:
• Calcium — supports healthy teeth, bones, muscle function, immunity, and blood clotting
• Magnesium — used for DNA and protein synthesis, as well as energy production from glucose
• Phosphorus — required for DNA and protein synthesis and energy production to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), our cells’ preferred form of energy
• Potassium — required for heart muscle contractions, nerve function, and energy production
• Chloride — helps maintain fluid balance in cells and your body’s pH level
Electrolytes and Fasting
Our bodies need to maintain a fine balance of electrolytes — an imbalance of one can trigger an imbalance in others. Electrolytes work together as a well-oiled machine to balance each other along with other vitamins.
There are two main reasons why we might experience electrolyte imbalance while fasting.
When we fast, we typically have one or two meals a day. In these meals, we’re only able to eat a certain amount of food, which naturally reduces the amount we eat in total. Since we get electrolytes from our diets, it’s possible to develop an imbalance in one or more of them, especially while fasting.
The second reason we may experience electrolyte imbalance is due to a metabolic process known as “natriuresis of fasting”. This refers to the process of our kidneys getting rid of sodium while we fast. Our bodies store extra carbohydrates and energy as glycogen, which holds onto water and electrolytes like potassium. Fasting triggers the breakdown of these energy stores — as a result, we lose water and electrolytes in the process. Exercise also causes electrolyte loss through sweat — without adequate hydration, we continue to lose water and these essential minerals.
Electrolyte imbalance occurs when our bodies are low on one or more electrolytes. Our bodies tell us we’re low on certain minerals with different symptoms. Signs of low electrolyte levels to look out for include:
• Low sodium levels — muscle weakness or cramping, headaches, confusion, nausea, low energy levels
• Low potassium levels — rapid heartbeat or palpitations, fatigue, numbness or tingling in your hands and/or feet, weak or spastic muscles
• Low calcium levels — muscle cramps (particularly in the legs), hard and brittle nails, dry skin
• Low magnesium levels — fatigue, muscle cramps and spasms, numbness in your hands and/or feet, uncontrollable shaking (tremors), abnormal heart rhythms
Looking for a great way to get in extra electrolytes without breaking your fast? Try mixing in around half a teaspoon of salt (sodium chloride) into a glass of water. You may need to adjust your salt intake depending on how often you exercise. Supplementing additionally with calcium, potassium, and magnesium can also prevent unwanted symptoms.
Benefits of Electrolyte Balance on a Fast
We’ve discussed how essential electrolytes are to our bodies’ everyday functioning, especially while fasting. Here are some specific examples of the benefits of maintaining proper electrolyte balance during your fast.
1. Maintains Fluid Balance
Our bodies are made of nearly 60 percent water, but these levels fluctuate with hydration, fitness levels, age, and gender. Our kidneys are the master regulators of our fluid levels, using sodium and potassium to hold onto water or excrete it from our bodies. However, we know this balance can be disrupted while we fast.
Low sodium levels caused by excessive sweating or drinking too much water overwhelm the kidneys, making it difficult for them to excrete water. On the other hand, high sodium levels from our diet choices cause our kidneys to hold onto too much water. This may lead to fluid buildup and increased blood pressure.
Finding the right balance of hydration and sodium intake helps our bodies better manage fluid balance. Fortunately, fasting can help us limit excess sodium from our diets — but it’s also important to supplement with sodium when needed. Hydrating appropriately throughout your day and after exercising can also help reduce the risk of electrolyte imbalance when fasting
2. Supports Brain Health and Nerve Function
Our nerves communicate using electrical impulses, which send signals to other parts of our bodies in just a fraction of a second. These impulses are generated by moving charged particles (ions) in and out of the cells, changing the overall charge of the cells. Sodium ions are exchanged for potassium ions in nerve cells, allowing them to send signals and communicate with one another.
Sodium is important for maintaining the fluid balance in your brain — low sodium levels can cause shrinkage, which can affect your memory and cognition. Other electrolytes like magnesium and calcium promote rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, boosting your brain’s function.
Supplementing with sodium, magnesium, and calcium while fasting helps ensure your brain and nerves have the nutrients they need to function properly.
3. Promotes Healthy Metabolism
Insulin resistance develops when our cells no longer respond to insulin, making it difficult for them to take up glucose for energy. Recent studies have found that insulin resistance from type 2 diabetes is linked to electrolyte imbalance, particularly in potassium, sodium, and calcium. When our cells are insulin resistant, they’re less likely to absorb these key minerals. Fasting, in addition to supplementing with electrolytes, can help lower insulin levels and promote a healthier metabolism.
4. Boosts Energy Levels
While electrolytes technically don’t offer any glucose for energy production, they are vital to our mitochondrial function. These energy-producing hubs in our cells rely on charged particles moving across their membranes to make ATP from glucose. The right balance of sodium, potassium, and magnesium while fasting is key to maintaining and boosting our energy levels.
5. Supports Heart Health
Electrolytes also play a role in our heart health by controlling blood pressure levels. We know that too much sodium increases blood pressure, but did you know that balanced potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels are also important? Supplementing appropriately with these minerals while fasting can decrease your risk of heart disease and other complications.
