Over the years, we’ve read a lot of bad advice when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight and keeping ourselves well nourished and healthy overall. For decades, we thought eating fat made us fat, fueling an industry of fat-free alternatives, which, unfortunately, did nothing to keep us from gaining weight.
We were told to stop eating egg yolks to keep our cholesterol down, that skipping meals was a good way to drop a few kilos, that eating frequently was a good strategy, that carbs are always bad, that fruit juice is as good as whole fruit, that gluten is evil and that superfoods can cure everything. It’s confusing, contradictory, and very, very frustrating.
Moreover, these ‘findings’ often erode our trust in the science of nutrition and health. We expect science to be incontrovertible, steady and true. It doesn’t make sense when something that is being spouted with such confidence is revoked, especially if we’ve been applying this advice in our own lives.
What science says about hydration
Which is why, when we talk about needing more than water for hydration, we know it’s an uphill battle. However, hydration is one area where the science has been consistent since the 1960s, with the discovery of Oral Rehydration Salts, also known as ORS. In fact, ORS showed such promise that the World Health Organisation threw its might behind the discovery, and backed research into finding the most effective formulation to battle dehydration. That formulation became the WHO ORS.
In India, this formulation has been available since 1972 in the form of Electral.
But wait a minute, isn’t hydration about getting enough water? Unfortunately, that’s a common misconception, and one that costs millions of lives each year. You see, the body doesn’t need just water for hydration, but also electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals, like sodium, calcium, and potassium, that help our bodies regulate chemical reactions, maintain the balance between fluids inside and outside our cells, and more. This ideal condition in the body is called ‘fluid balance’.
In simple terms, fluid balance means having enough fluid and electrolytes in the body to keep electrical impulses firing between cells, keep your blood flowing, your skin moist, and your brain (and all other organs) happy. It is this balance that gets disrupted when we lose fluids and electrolytes through normal processes like sweating and urination. Unless we’re in a heatwave and working outside, the body knows how to recover from this by triggering thirst. You drink some water, and during the normal course of the day, you replenish your electrolytes through nutritious food.
Sugar and Dehydration
However, when we are in a heatwave, or when you’ve been working/exercising/playing in the sun, or when you lose fluids and electrolytes quickly through high fevers, vomiting and diarrhoea, the body needs help in recovering. Unfortunately, this is when most of us reach for a fizzy drink, fruit juice or sugary sports drink that can actually make dehydration worse. This is because sugar disrupts the body’s hydration balance.
To understand this phenomenon, let’s digress for a minute into the process of osmosis, which is the process by which molecules in a solvent pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one. In plain terms, water moves towards concentrated solutions, to dilute the levels of whatever is dissolved in it (in this case, sugar).
Now, think about what happens in your body when you drink a fizzy soft drink, or a sports drink or fruit juice that is high in sugar: your blood sugar rises. This means that you have a higher concentration of sugar in your bloodstream, and it needs to be diluted. Osmosis kicks in, and the water in your cells moves into the bloodstream. As the cells lose water, they signal to the brain that you need more water, which in turn, triggers the urge to sip. Unfortunately, you’re sipping a sugary drink, which only restarts the cycle and makes you more dehydrated, rather than countering it.
ORS and Dehydration
WHO ORS formulations on the other hand, are designed to counter dehydration. It contains the right mix of electrolytes in the right proportion to deliver maximum benefit, with minimal effort from the body.
Electral has been proven to be a safe, effective and inexpensive way to rehydrate people of all ages and conditions. It enhances the absorption of water and electrolytes from the intestines and improves recovery from illness.
It is also very easy to prepare. Electral is available in two sizes – the large packet is meant to be dissolved in one litre of water, and the small packet is meant to be dissolved in 200ml, or one cup/glass of water. It is important to follow the instructions on the packet to get the best results. Adding more or less Electral to water lowers its efficacy. This is why the third option exists- Ready-to-Drink Electral in tetra pak.
Conclusion
The best way to work on your daily hydration is to drink plenty of fluids rich in electrolytes. You should also pay attention to your water intake, and ensure that you drink plenty of water on hot days or on days when you have been physically active.
However, when in a pinch, trust the expert – India’s No.1 WHO ORS recommended by doctors: Electral.
This is a partnered post.
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