Most people have heard about electrolytes at this point. Sodium, potassium, magnesium… those conversations have become pretty mainstream. From sports drinks to hydration packets to wellness podcasts, electrolytes have officially entered the health conversation in a big way.

But there’s still a lot of confusion around what actually qualifies as an electrolyte… and what falls into an entirely different category: trace minerals.

While the two are connected, they are not the same thing.