Why I Made Kalyx.
I’m Mel Barnes, founder of Kalyx. I have three kids, and we live in Henderson, Nevada.
My blood pressure was borderline for years, and eventually it became high. I tried an ACE inhibitor and got a debilitating cough. I had to take a week off work, and the cough hung on for two weeks after I stopped the meds.
So I tried to fix it myself. I was training hard, CrossFit and lifting weights, plus cardio and a healthy diet. I got my body fat where it should be, but my blood pressure was still borderline high.
Then I got sick and developed AFib. I started researching the causes, and I learned that mineral levels, including potassium and magnesium, can play a role in heart rhythm.
I started taking potassium. My AFib became less frequent and my blood pressure came down to normal. I have more energy, and I generally feel better.
I looked around for an electrolyte mix, but the powders were mostly salt with a token amount of potassium. I used them for a while anyway. One (chocolate) stained my teeth. Many had an aftertaste from stevia. All of them had ingredients I didn’t want to consume.
So I started making my own at home. I bought ingredients off Amazon and started experimenting. Then I realized there are probably a lot of people who’d like a potassium-first, clean-ingredient, great-tasting electrolyte, and I decided to start Kalyx.
I’m not a marketing guy. I’m an engineer, so I’m not sure how far I can take this, but I hope it’s far enough to help a lot of people.
— Mel Barnes, Founder