The human body loses a lot of fluids, hence hydration is essential for health. For this, nothing like consuming water. Or is there another drink that hydrates more than water? To the astonishment of many, the answer itself.
A study published by researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland compared the hydration responses of several different drinks.
In this way, the scientists determined that although water (even carbonated) manages to quickly hydrate the body, drinks with a little sugar, fat or protein do an even better job.
Ronald Maughan, Professor at St. Andrews Medical School. Capture YouTube
Ronald Maughan, a professor at St. Andrews Medical School and an author of the study, confesses that the explanation has to do with the way our bodies respond to drinks.
And it puts the focus on volume: The more you drink, the faster the drink empties from your stomach and is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it can dilute body fluids and hydrate you, Maughan specifies.
Milk, more hydrating than water
But since it was marked, the nutrient composition of a drink should also be taken into account.
And therein lies the finding:milk is even more hydrating than normal water because it contains sugar lactose, some proteins and some fats, which helps delay the emptying of fluid from the stomach and maintain hydration for longer.
Milk is also known to contain sodium, which acts like a sponge, making it meet the goal of conserving body water and producing less urine.
Milk also contains sodium, which acts like a sponge. Photo: Pixabay
For example, drinks prescribed to treat diarrhea have sodium and potassium, which can also help promote water retention in the body.
"Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, contribute to better hydration, while the calories in beverages cause slower gastric emptying and therefore a slower release of urination," said Melissa Majumdar, a dietitian, personal trainer and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The role of sugar in hydration
But here's where it gets tricky: they're not necessarily as hydrating as their lower-sugar cousins.
Drinks with more concentrated sugars, such as fruit juices or colas, may spend a little more time in the stomach and empty more slowly compared to plain water.
And after entering the small intestine, its high concentration of sugars is diluted during a physiological process called osmosis. Technically, the dietitian remarks, anything inside the gut is practically outside your body, widening the portal.
Golas sodas or juices with excess sugar. Photo: Thinkstock Photos
"Juice and soda are less hydrating and also offer extra sugars and calories that won't fill us up as much as solid foods," Majumdar explains.
Our kidneys and liver depend on water to remove toxins from the body, and water also plays a key role in maintaining skin elasticity and suppleness.
The health professional also exemplifies with athletes with excessive sweating and those who work long hours without breaks to hydrate: it makes a critical health problem that must be addressed.
Alcoholic beverages and coffee
Alcohol acts as a diuretic, so it generates a greater need to urinate.
And Maughan clarifies: "Beer would cause less water loss than whiskey, because you're ingesting more liquid with beer. Strong alcoholic beverages will dehydrate you, diluted alcoholic beverages will not."
Beer: Alcohol acts as a diuretic. Photo: Shutterstock.
A regular coffee with about 80 milligrams of caffeine would be about as hydrating as water, according to the research.
However, consuming 3 or 4 cups of coffee could imply a greater loss of fluid since caffeine causes a mild diuretic effect in the short term.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body does not have as much water and fluids as needed, and can occur in older adults and people with diseases such as diabetes.
"It can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on how much body fluid has been lost or not replenished. In the latter case it can lead to a life-threatening emergency," explains MedlinePlus, the site of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
When determining the causes of dehydration, the health portal highlights some causes:
- Excessive sweating, for example, as a result of physical activity at high temperatures
Dehydration can lead to cramping from loss of water and salts. Photo Shutterstock.
- Fever
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Urinating too much (may be caused by uncontrolled diabetes or some medicines)
See also