Written by Mo, Foundi CSO, PhD · Updated 11 November 2026
What this page is: Short, plain-language definitions of the terms that come up when people talk about electrolytes, hydration and Canadian food labels. Each definition is one sentence, with a link to a longer guide where we have one.
Electrolytes and minerals
Electrolyte: A mineral that splits into electrically charged particles (ions) when dissolved in water, which the body uses for nerve signals, muscle contraction and fluid balance. (Full guide)
Ion: An atom or molecule that carries a positive or negative electric charge because it has gained or lost electrons.
Sodium (Na): The main electrolyte in the fluid outside cells, central to fluid balance and nerve signalling, and the one most Canadians already eat more of than recommended. (Are electrolytes just salt?)
Potassium (K): The main electrolyte inside cells, important for nerve and muscle signals, and found mostly in vegetables, fruit, beans and dairy.
Chloride (Cl): A negatively charged electrolyte that partners with sodium in fluid balance and comes mostly from table salt.
Magnesium (Mg): A mineral involved in hundreds of enzyme reactions and in muscle and nerve function, found in nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and leafy greens.
Calcium (Ca): An electrolyte best known for bones and teeth, which also helps muscles contract and nerves signal.
Bicarbonate: A negatively charged ion the body uses to help keep its acid–base balance steady.
Phosphate: An electrolyte involved in energy use inside cells and in bone structure.
Sodium chloride: The chemical name for table salt, a compound of sodium and chloride. The American Heart Association notes it is about 40% sodium by weight.
Sodium citrate: A form of sodium often used in drink mixes as a source of sodium and to adjust taste and acidity.
Hydration and the body
Hydration: Having enough water in the body for its normal functions, from both drinks and food. (How much water do you need?)
Total water intake: All the water you take in from drinks and food. Reference intakes from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are expressed this way.
Fluid balance: The body's ongoing management of how much water it holds and where that water sits, inside or outside cells.
Osmolality: A measure of how concentrated the dissolved particles in a fluid are. It influences which way water moves between body compartments.
Isotonic: Describes a drink with roughly the same concentration of dissolved particles as body fluids.
Hypotonic: Describes a drink that is less concentrated than body fluids.
Hypertonic: Describes a drink that is more concentrated than body fluids.
Sweat rate: How much fluid a person loses through sweat over a given time. It varies widely between people and conditions.
Thirst: The body's signal to drink, triggered mainly when the blood becomes more concentrated or blood volume drops.
Drinks and formats
Electrolyte drink mix: A powder, stick, tablet or concentrate that adds electrolytes, usually sodium first, to water, often with a sweetener or sugar and flavouring.
Sports drink: A drink that combines electrolytes with carbohydrate (sugar), designed mainly for long or intense exercise. (Mixes vs sports drinks)
Oral rehydration solution (ORS): A precisely formulated salt-and-sugar solution used for rehydration during illness. If you're unwell, ask a pharmacist or doctor, not a drinks company.
Sweetener (high-intensity): An ingredient such as stevia, monk fruit extract or sucralose that tastes much sweeter than sugar, so very small amounts are used.
Sugar alcohol: A sweet-tasting carbohydrate such as erythritol or xylitol, sometimes used to sweeten drink mixes.
Canadian labels and regulation
Nutrition Facts table: The standard nutrition panel on Canadian prepackaged foods, showing amounts per serving and % Daily Value. (How to read an electrolyte label)
% Daily Value (% DV): How much of a nutrient one serving provides compared with a reference daily amount. Health Canada's rule of thumb is that 5% or less is a little and 15% or more is a lot.
Supplemented food: In Canada, a prepackaged food with added vitamins, minerals or other ingredients such as caffeine, sold under Health Canada's supplemented food rules.
Supplemented Food Facts table: The panel on a supplemented food that lists core nutrients, plus a "Supplemented with" section showing the total of each supplemental ingredient.
Supplemented food caution identifier: A Health Canada symbol on the front of some supplemented foods (an exclamation mark in a box marked "Supplemented") that tells you to read the caution box on the label.
Natural health product (NHP): In Canada, a product such as a vitamin, mineral or herbal supplement that is licensed by Health Canada under the Natural Health Products Regulations.
NPN (Natural Product Number): The eight-digit number on the label of a licensed natural health product, searchable in Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database.
Product Facts table: The standard information table on many natural health products, listing medicinal ingredients, uses, warnings, directions and non-medicinal ingredients.
Front-of-package nutrition symbol: A Health Canada magnifying-glass symbol on the front of some prepackaged foods that flags them as high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium.
Adequate Intake (AI): A reference amount of a nutrient set when there isn't enough evidence for a precise requirement, used for potassium, sodium and water.
Chronic Disease Risk Reduction intake (CDRR): A reference level above which reducing intake is expected to lower chronic disease risk. For sodium in adults it is 2,300 mg a day, the figure Health Canada uses as its upper guidance.
Sources
- Health Canada. Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/food-nutrition/sodium-intake-canadians-2017.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Nutrition facts table. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/nutrition-labelling/nutrition-facts-tables.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Supplemented foods: Labels. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/supplemented-foods/labels.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/applications-submissions/product-licensing/licensed-natural-health-products-database.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Guidance document: Labelling of natural health products. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/legislation-guidelines/guidance-documents/labelling.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Front-of-package nutrition symbol. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/nutrition-labelling/front-package.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- American Heart Association. Sodium Sources. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/sodium-sources. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate (2005). https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/10925/chapter/6. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
About Foundi. Foundi is a Canadian everyday-wellness brand. We write these guides to explain everyday health topics in plain language; they aren't medical advice. Brand facts →