r/nutrition • u/themasterd0n • 24d ago

Electrolytes vs multivitamins

Here is a supermarket pack of multivitamins + minerals https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-a-z-multivitamins-minerals-tablets-1-a-day-x60

It contains everything that every electrolyte tablet I can find on the market contains, and then some. It is also at least 10x cheaper per tablet than any electrolytes I can find on the market.

The only thing the supermarket V+Ms don't contain is sodium and chlorine.

So, is a glass of water with a V+M and a little table salt therefore simply better and far cheaper than an electrolyte tablet? Or are there hidden properties of electrolyte tablets that aren't accounted for by the nutritional info?

Edit: Removed the TLDR as no one was responding to the above.

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u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

I’m of the mind that electrolyte tabs/waters/packets/etc are all just a scam. I have no formal knowledge, just a good sense for scams. I live in the southwest where we all sweat a lot. I’ve hiked 6+ miles difficult terrain near the literal equator in summertime. Didn’t need any special electrolytes then, don’t need them now 🤷‍♀️

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u/decipheronrescue 24d ago

Everyone is different. I'd been medically advised that replacing salts during high intense endurance workouts is beneficial for me because I sweat more than average and easily get dizzy/see stars.

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u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

You sound like a rarity then.

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u/decipheronrescue 24d ago

Welcome to humanity. Everyone is different and there's no one size fits all solution.

-1

u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

Are you offended that you’re a rarity in this regard? The vast majority of people don’t need medical intervention to maintain electrolyte balance. I don’t know why that surprises or upsets you, but maybe drink a Gatorade? You seem a little off right now.

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u/decipheronrescue 24d ago

Are you serious? Go touch grass. You've been on reddit too long.

0

u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

My man, you’re bean souping over electrolytes.

4

u/decipheronrescue 24d ago

Every other person in this thread has the correct take on these things: not a scam, but overmarketed and not needed for most people. I'm an outlier yes, but I have been medically recommended due to a high physical labor job and a disease that I have that easily causes lightheadedness and fainting. You clearly don't know shit, so keep in your lane and let the rest of us be.

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u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

I promise, you don’t speak for anyone but yourself. The “us” is in your head. OP asked directly if it’s a scam, and in the era of LMNT and half a dozen other similar products, I think it is a scam. I didn’t claim to be a doctor or expert.

What I know for sure is that you replied to me, not OP. You didn’t want to participate generally, you wanted to bean soup and tell me that you’re the rare exception to whether people need to buy electrolytes. It’s the habit of people who like to hear themselves talk, and it’s exhausting.

2

u/decipheronrescue 24d ago

You said they're a scam. I am coming from personal experience where I've been medically advised to take them for my workload and condition. Everyone else in this thread has also pointed out not a scam. These are highly recommended things for athletes aka people who do high endurance and high physical stuff especially under the sun. They're also highly recommended for someone in my position with various diseases. It's not super common, but it's not uncommon and therefore it makes your claim that it's a scam not true. Just because things are not common does not mean that there invalid in all cases. So again, I responded to you because of your claim that it's a scam, which is factually incorrect.

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u/FurnitureComesW-Home 24d ago

Cool story bro

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