LMNT vs. DIY Electrolytes: An Honest Comparison for Women Over 40

LMNT is the default electrolyte drink in the keto and carnivore world, and it's a genuinely good product. But it's not the right product for everyone — especially menopausal women — and it's expensive relative to a DIY mix that hits the same numbers. Here's the honest comparison.

What's actually in a stick of LMNT

• Sodium: 1,000 mg
• Potassium: 200 mg
• Magnesium: 60 mg (as magnesium malate)
• Cost: roughly $1.50–$2.00 per stick

What most menopausal keto women actually need per day

• Sodium: 4,000–6,000 mg
• Potassium: 1,000–2,000 mg supplemented (rest from food)
• Magnesium: 300–400 mg as glycinate, pre-bed

To hit those numbers with LMNT alone you'd need 4–6 sticks a day, and you'd still be short 240+ mg of magnesium and 800–1,800 mg of potassium. That's $6–$12/day, or $180–$360/month, and it still doesn't fully work.

The DIY version

Same electrolytes, roughly $0.15 per serving:

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (~1,150 mg sodium)
• 1/4 teaspoon No Salt / Nu-Salt (potassium chloride, ~600 mg potassium)
• Juice of half a lemon (taste + trace potassium)
• 12–16 oz cold water

Take one at lunch, one with dinner. Add 300–400 mg magnesium glycinate as a capsule 30 minutes before bed. That's the whole protocol for under $8/month.

When LMNT is still the right call

• You travel a lot and can't measure salt in a hotel room.
• You physically cannot stomach the taste of DIY (salt tolerance is real).
• You already take magnesium glycinate separately and just need a portable sodium hit.

In those cases, use LMNT for what it's good at — 1 stick with lunch — and pair it with a second sodium hit at dinner plus your pre-bed magnesium.

Why the magnesium form matters most

LMNT uses magnesium malate. It's fine for daytime use, but for the pre-bed dose that actually dampens the 3am cortisol pulse, glycinate is the form the research and reader reports keep pointing to. It crosses the blood-brain barrier better and reliably calms the adrenaline response. This is the single most common reason readers say "LMNT wasn't enough" — they had the sodium but not the pre-bed magnesium.

Bottom line

LMNT is a good product with the wrong dose profile for menopausal keto women. Either use it as a supplement to a real evening protocol, or skip it and mix your own for 90% less. Either way, the pre-bed magnesium glycinate is non-negotiable.