Electrolytes are one of the hottest health crazes of 2024 but they’ve been around and been popular for quite some time.
Characterized as liquid soluble minerals that help to improve nervous system health, reduce anxiety and give your body a quick infusion or much needed trace minerals and hydration, the success of electrolytes flies in the face of decades of advice from medical organizations and professionals that salt is “bad for us” in certain amounts.
Many of the most popular and best selling electrolyte brands are made from various types of salt ranging from sea salt to sodium chloride (in the case of LMNT) to Pink Himalayan salt.
The tagline of LMNT Electrolytes is that it ‘Feels Good to Be Salty,’ and it also tastes good in my personal opinion after trying LMNT Electrolytes for the first time.
Read on to learn more about my impressions of this high-selling electrolyte drink.
LMNT Electrolytes Flavors
The four flavors I tried from LMNT Electrolytes were watermelon salt, citrus salt, orange salt and raspberry salt.
The first thing I noticed was the intense flavor of each electrolyte powder stick that I added to my morning glass of water.
The flavor is more intense than similar brands I’ve drank from recently with the exception of perhaps Paleo Valley.
The watermelon had a nice flavor that certainly lives up to its name. The citrus had a bold lime flavor to it that I really enjoyed. The saltiness and the lime blend together well. The raspberry was also very good as was the orange.
After drinking electrolytes with a little more subdued flavors previously I began to feel as though these are more of an acquired taste. It took my taste buds two or three drinks to adjust to the boldness of these flavors but once I did I really enjoyed them.
Each stick was sweetened with Stevia and did not contain any refined sugar.
Taste-wise I would give these a 7 or a 7.5 out of 10. If you like intense workouts and intense flavors you will probably enjoy the taste very much. To me it was a little saltier than I would have preferred and a little bit over-the-top at first but my taste buds adjusted and I began to enjoy them more.
LMNT Electrolytes Nutrition
These sticks are suitable for a low-carb, paleo or keto lifestyle.
They were originally created by Robb Wolf, a well known author and Paleo Diet lifestyle advocate who noticed that he needed more salt while going on adventures and training his favorite sport, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
I have casually followed Mr. Wolf’s work for years and did not realize he was the founder of LMNT Electrolytes until I began writing this article but once I did that bumped them up a notch or two in my mind in terms of quality and trustworthiness.
The company employs a ‘salty squad’ of more than 40 employees as detailed on the LMNT website here.
Each stick of LMNT Electrolytes contains the following key nutrients:
- 1000 mg sodium
- 200 mg potassium
- 60 mg magnesium
These numbers are solid although I was hoping for a little higher totals in potassium and magnesium because those are two minerals my body tends to crave often.
The ratio used in LMNT Electrolytes is based on a JAMA study that found 4-6 grams of sodium per day is what is needed as the ‘sweet spot’ for minimizing heart attack and stroke risk.
The company goes on to explain that it doesn’t include calcium in its formulas because the type of calcium typically found in supplements could increase calcification of arteries, which is bad news for people who consume too much calcium without corresponding nutrients like Vitamin K2 that help to ensure it is absorbed and utilized property without side effects.
The LMNT website also talks vaguely about sea salt and Pink Himalayan salt based electrolytes and how they contain trace minerals, but does not say much about where its salt is sourced from.
Upon further review I found more information about the source of LMNT Electrolytes’ salt.
The company states that its main ingredient, ‘sodium chloride,’ is an evaporated, ‘high purity level’ salt source in the United States. The salt is mined using Evaporated Salt Production or ‘Solution Mining’ processes. Moisture is evaporated brine to form salt crystals as stated by the LMNT website here.
According to Robb Wolf in a post on the LMNT website, there are reasons the company chooses not to use either Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt and concerns about heavy metals and microplastics are among them.
Wolf goes on to explain that his products’ sodium chloride is tested for heavy metals each step of the process.
My personal thoughts on this type of salt is that it does taste fairly similar to table salt or even the type of salt one might consume on a soft pretzel.
It’s a different taste for health conscious people used to the tastes of sea salt and Pink Himalayan salt that takes some time getting used to as I mentioned above.
Altogether, I can see Robb’s point of view on his decision to use this type of mined traditional salt for his LMNT Electrolytes product.
It is personally not my favorite type of salt, but I do trust Robb’s judgment in this case as he has been a trusted health advocate for many years.
I personally prefer Himalayan and Sea Salt based electrolyte products but I do think LMNT Electrolytes are a delicious and healthy alternative to some other electrolyte brands including Liquid IV which uses a considerable amount of sugar in numerous products.
Price-wise, I personally do not believe they are the best value among electrolytes that I have found, but a lot depends on the taste, flavor, and nutrient profiles you are looking for in your electrolyte drink.
Special thanks to LMNT electrolytes for sending me these products to try, I definitely enjoyed them a lot and in my personal experience a consistent electrolytes and filtered water routine is one of the best ways to stay healthy especially for people who have plans on staying active into their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.
Learn More or Try LMNT Electrolytes on their website here
LMNT Electrolytes can also be found on Amazon.com by clicking on this link
Get a fluoride-filtering water pitcher here (use code ‘althealthworks’ for discount at checkout)
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About Nick Meyer
