How to Get Electrolytes on a Carnivore Diet: An Essential Guide

“The carnivore diet is deficient in key nutrients!” This is a claim you will hear over and over. Of course, if you don’t know how to nourish yourself, you will hurt yourself and become unhealthy.

However, this applies to any diet, not only the carnivore diet. You can have an ordinary diet and still lack essential nutrients. Just look at veganism and vegetarianism. There are some crucial nutrients only found in animal products.

Carnivore Diet Chaos

The crazy thing is the carnivore diet is probably not the food regimen you grew up on; it is an entirely new way of living and eating for almost anyone who has grown up in the Western World.

You do need to thoroughly hone your knowledge to get across from the unknown to the known. This will unlock all the benefits this diet can bring to your life. In fact, if you are totally new to the diet, I’d recommend reading our article:

• The Carnivore Diet 101: A Meaty Resource

Or add these three Carnivore Diet Powerhouse Books to your bookshelf:

• The Carnivore Cookbook by Jessica Haggard (For a limited time, use ANDY5 at checkout for $5.00 off)
• The Carnivore Diet by Dr. Shawn Baker (Bookshop.org Link)
• The Carnivore Code by Dr. Paul Saladino (Bookshop.org Link)

So, what are electrolytes, why do you need them, and how can you get them on the carnivore diet?

Disclaimer: All these numbers are based on healthy individuals. Individuals who suffer from chronic diseases, especially lung or kidney disease, must be extra careful and discuss this diet with their doctors. Be smart!

What are electrolytes?

You have undoubtedly heard of some electrolytes, like sodium and potassium. But do you know what they do?

Chemically, electrolytes are minerals that carry electrical charges.

They can turn fluids into an electrically conducting solution. Biologically, they are present in your sweat, urine, blood, and tissues to support many body functions.

You get electrolytes from what you eat and drink. Sodium, calcium, potassium, copper, chloride, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium, and bicarbonate are all electrolytes, but not all are essential.

For example, your body can produce its own bicarbonate and phosphate. However, the five other essential electrolytes are found in water and food.

The 5 Essential Electrolytes

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Chloride

Why do you need them?

Electrolytes are essential for life. Most importantly, electrolytes balance the amount of fluid in your body.

Through osmosis, electrolytes maintain a certain volume of fluids in different body compartments so your cells don’t burst with too much water or shrink with dehydration. (1)

With the help of your lungs and kidneys, electrolytes also balance your pH. pH is how acidic or basic a fluid is.

In healthy individuals, a pH of 7.35-7.45 is maintained. This appears to be the optimum pH for all bodily functions, from respiration to urination. (2)

Also, your neurons fire signals or send messages by changing their cell membrane charge; you need electrolytes for a soundly functioning nervous system.

Some electrolytes have an additional task. For instance, calcium is responsible for muscle contractions.

If you don’t consume enough minerals, you will experience symptoms according to what’s missing.

Sometimes you might lose more than one electrolyte at the same time. Mild deficiencies might go unnoticed, and more severe ones can cause symptoms like numbness, muscle cramps, confusion, convulsions, etc.

Rarely, electrolyte imbalances can be fatal as your system just collapses.

How can you get electrolytes on a carnivore diet?

First things first, up your water game!

This is not “drink enough water to be healthy” advice. This is based on what the nutrition experts say.

Water can make or break your electrolyte balance. If you don’t drink enough water, your electrolytes will keep shifting to balance the water content between your body fluids.

Don’t wait until you are dehydrated to drink. Instead, keep a bottle of water close by and sip small amounts throughout the day to be well hydrated.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommended that men drink about 125 ounces (3.7 liters) of fluids per day and 91 ounces (2.7 liters) for women.

80% of your fluid intake comes from what you drink, and food is responsible for the other 20%. (3)

More importantly, invest in quality water.

Spring water is chemical-free, natural, and full of minerals too. It can be an intelligent way to add minerals to your diet.

I use a delivery service called Live Water which sources its water from a spring, and they deliver it in glass bottles. Check them out here and receive an 11% discount.

You could even forage your spring water if you want to get all hippy and save money. I do this when I have time and use glass containers to avoid any unwanted chemicals in my water from plastics. BPA is a nasty chemical.

Warning: Be sure the spring you use is free of parasites or contaminants. I had a giardia parasite infection, and that was not fun. Some people use Findaspring.com to source their spring water.

I use 5-gallon Glass Carboys to store my foraged water.

Get Salty!

Next, fix your salt situation. Most salts contain sodium and chloride, but some salts contain potassium and iodine. Therefore, you need to know what you are buying.

Salt is blamed for hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. However, recent research shows that lessening salt intake doesn’t decrease the risk of stroke, hypertension, or death in healthy or hypertensive individuals (4).

In “The Carnivore Code,” Dr. Paul Saladino highlights how salt shouldn’t be feared, especially in the first stages of your diet when your body is adapting.

He recommends a daily intake of 6 to 10 grams. But it’s got to be the good stuff, and he uses and recommends Redmond Real Sea Salt.

Redmond Salt is sourced from an ancient sea bed in Utah, which is better than salt sourced from the ocean as it potentially has microplastics and toxins associated with pollution.

I personally always buy Redmond Sea Salt 10-pound bucket to save money, as being a healthy carnivore, you will go through a lot, especially if you are an active person.

If you use the link to purchase, it should give you a 15% discount. If not, use the coupon code Wild at checkout. That should do it.

We go even deeper into salt in this article and how salt relates to the carnivore diet:

• Do You Need More Salt on a Carnivore Diet?

While reading Dr.Paul Saladino’s book, “The Carnivore Code,” he mentions that we can get a good amount of magnesium from spring water.

The brand Gerolsteiner contains 100 milligrams of magnesium and 345 milligrams of calcium.

He mentions that drinking a few liters of spring/mineral water daily plus a pound of muscle meat should get you to the RDA for magnesium.

Dr. Saladino also says meat is an excellent source of potassium, with over 1400 milligrams per pound.

He says, “Eating animal foods and drinking good water from a good source will provide us with ample amounts of these minerals as long as we are thinking about sodium from an ancestral perspective.”

The keto and carnivore flu

Some people new to the carnivore diet will experience flu-like symptoms during the transition from a high-carbohydrate diet to an almost zero-carbohydrate diet.

Sometimes electrolytes play a role. We provide a valuable resource to help navigate this challenge.

• Keto Flu vs. Carnivore Diet Flu & 7 Possible Remedies

Now let’s tackle electrolytes one by one:

Sodium:

Sodium is responsible for muscle contraction, including your heart and fluid balance. It is also susceptible to changes.

When you cut carbs, your insulin level decreases, which may cause sodium loss.

If you exercise or sweat a lot for any other reason, you must replenish your sodium, as every liter of sweat contains 40-60 mmol of sodium.

Therefore, you will need a higher-than-usual intake to compensate for losses. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium is 1,000 – 1,200 mg for adults.

Also, I use a pre-made electrolyte mix with sodium when working out and being on a Carnivore Diet.

The Redmond Re/Lyte pre-made packets have around:

• 810 mg sodium
• 400 mg potassium
• 50 mg magnesium
• 1280 mg chloride
• 60 mg calcium
• 60+ Trace Minerals

It is important to note that table salt is only 40% sodium, and the rest is chloride; in every teaspoon (6 grams) of salt, there are only 2.4 grams of sodium.

Try Re/Lyte out and get a 15% discount on your first order with this link!

Chloride:

Chloride works with sodium and potassium to balance your body fluids. If you are low on chloride, you will experience fatigue, nausea, difficulty breathing, or fluid loss in the form of vomiting or diarrhea.

The RDA of chloride is 3.6 grams for adults. Every time you add salt, you will get chloride.

Potassium:

Potassium is the most abundant positive ion in your body. It maintains normal cell function, intracellular fluid volume, and trans-membrane electrochemical gradients.

According to doctors, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure, kidney stones, etc., are all signs of potassium deficiency.

An adult’s RDA of potassium is at least 2,600 – 3,400 mg. Dairy is a good source of potassium. Seafood, primarily mollusks and salmon are excellent sources too.

Also, just one pound of meat gives you around 1600 mg of potassium.

Magnesium:

Magnesium covers a range of body functions, from protein synthesis to mood balance. Symptoms of deficiency include tremors, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, and even personality changes.

The RDA of magnesium is 320-420 mg for an adult.

A 6oz fillet of Tuna gives around 30% of the RDA. Other fish like mackerel, salmon, and cod are decent sources of magnesium.

Bone broth is also rich in magnesium if prepared properly. A well-prepared bone broth cooked for at least 12 hours. It can provide you with around 120 mg of magnesium per liter.

Pre-made grass-fed bone broth brands:

1. White Oak Farm Bone Broth (is seasoned, so not pure carnivore)
2. Epic Beef Bone Broth (is seasoned, so not pure carnivore)
3. Kettle & Fire Bone Broth (is seasoned, so not pure carnivore)

Magnesium is another supplement I use on the regular before bedtime. I use a brand called Natural Calm. It also acts like a laxative if you take too much. Be careful with dosing, as you may end up with disaster pants!

Also, it’s supposed to help with sleep and possible anxiety. I do a teaspoon or two a little after I eat dinner every night.

Calcium:

Calcium makes your bones, helps your body move, regulates your blood pressure, and is vital for proper neural and hormonal signaling.

If it’s absent, your body will demineralize your bone to get it as your heart needs it. You might suffer from muscle cramps, tingling, and irregular heartbeats.

The RDA of calcium is 1,000 – 1,200 mg for an adult.

Again, dairy is rich in calcium, but most carnivores try to remove dairy from their diet because many people have digestive issues. Other good options include canned fish like sardines and a well-prepared bone broth.

Copper:

Copper supports enzymatic reactions that produce energy. Also, copper deficiency has been linked to vascular and neurological disorders.

The RDA of copper is just 0.9 mg for an adult. Beef liver contains 15 mg of copper per 100 g of the liver. It’s virtually impossible to be deficient on the carnivore diet if you don’t suffer from a copper metabolic disorder.

Phosphorus:

Phosphorus’s primary function is bone and teeth formation and metabolism. It goes hand in hand with calcium.

It’s essential for fat metabolism, protein synthesis, and tissue repair. Its deficiency presents with bone pain, fragile bones, stiff joints, fatigue, irregular breathing, numbness, weakness, etc.

The RDA of phosphorus is 700 mg for an adult. Luckily, meats, fish, and dairy are all rich in phosphorus. An average quality salmon contains around 250 mg of phosphorous in every 100 gm.

Manganese:

Manganese is essential for bone formation and metabolism in general. Its deficiency equals poor bone health.

The RDA of manganese is 1.8 – 2.3 mg for adults. Meat is rich in manganese. Only 100 grams of beef tripe contains 6 mg of manganese.

Know when you need to add more

Sometimes you will lose more electrolytes than usual, and your body will be relatively electrolyte deficient. To avoid this pitfall, you should be oriented to these situations.

In the first few weeks of transitioning to the carnivore diet, you may need to increase your electrolyte content, especially if you experience low-carb flu.

Check out the article I mentioned before called “Keto Flu vs. Carnivore Diet Flu & 7 Possible Remedies.”

Also, when you are sick, especially if you experience vomiting or diarrhea, your body will lose fluids continuously and electrolytes with them.

Having a warm cup of bone broth or more electrolyte-rich foods will help you a lot.

If you increase your exercise frequency or intensity, you better improve your water and electrolyte intake to avoid muscle cramps and other unwanted symptoms.

When I first started the carnivore diet, I would get horrible cramps in my calf muscles. I had to increase my salt and magnesium intake to help alleviate the problem.

Take home message

Electrolytes are substances that carry charges and are vital for your body’s functions. Their deficiency is an alarm for you to work harder on your diet and not give up on it.

Water and various foods are crucial to acquire all needed electrolytes in the carnivore diet. Be sure to add Redmond Real Salt and Re/Lyte to your carnivore diet, especially if you are active.

Like all dieters, Carnivores must keep an eye on their micronutrient and electrolyte intake. Bone broth can help too, and it’s always fun to experiment with different food recipes; check out: 9 Most Underrated Carnivore Diet Dinner Recipes (With Pics).

Also, we have a Wild Lumens YouTube channel with plenty of valuable and fun carnivore diet-related content. View and subscribe here!

Carnivore Discounts

• Redmond Real Salt and Re-Lyte Electrolyte Mix (15% Discount)
• White OakPastures Regenerative Farmed Meat (10% Discount)
• Carnivore Crisps (10% Discount)
• Live Water Glass Bottled Spring Water (11% Discount)

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.

Resources

1. Overview of Electrolytes
2. pH in the Human Body
3. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate
4. Reduced Dietary Salt for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (Cochrane Review)