Now everyone will immediately think of water because we’ve had enough of that drilled into us in the last “health years”.
But secretly, when you hear the word thirst, you might think of a cold beer or an ice-cold cola.
Is that only because we have learned to like “unhealthy” things?
I just learned something new while doing research and maybe you will be amazed too.
First of all, I am destroying the myth that water is the best way to quench thirst.
Water is very healthy because it flushes our kidneys.
But quenching thirst is not about which drink leaves our body the best. And which one keeps us slim?
No, it’s about which drink hydrates you best, that is, replenishing the body’s water deficiency. And keeps you hydrated. And which drink can help especially old people not to get dehydrated?
And this drink is not water, but whole milk.
It was found out by a newly created index, the hydration index, which was developed in the English study.
It is based on the ability of some liquids to stay in our body longer than others, providing better hydration.
It is in practice that if you drink a glass of water, shortly after, half of it ends up back in the toilet and your body basically has only half a glass of it available.
In the study, the amount of water that was not excreted after one hour was set at 1.0.
Then that was compared to the other drinks.
So a higher index means the liquid stays in the body longer than water.
A number lower than 1 means the fluid leaves the body faster than water, and thus lower hydration.
The results are astonishing.
Four drinks – oral rehydration solution (what you get directly into your blood in the hospital), skim milk, whole milk, and orange juice – have a higher hydration index than water.
Milk contains many electrolytes and nutrients such as sodium and potassium, which cause slower emptying of the stomach and a weaker effect on the kidneys.
Beer and coffee also proved to be good hydrators, similar to carbonated water.
Sugar-containing beverages that are frowned upon, such as Coca-Cola, fared even better. They are not recommended because of their sugar content, but they have a good hydration index.
Therefore the Japp on cold Coke after the sport. Our body is not as stupid as we think.
So when does this knowledge come in handy?
In any case, when dehydration threatens. When it’s very hot when people are old, or even when you have to travel long distances or run a marathon.
But also when you often have to go to the toilet at night. Then a glass of milk (which, by the way, also contains sleep-inducing melatonin) makes more sense than a glass of water. So there is hope to make it to the next morning.
And if you meet an old person who collapsed from heat, actually the orange juice is more useful than water.
And now we have the explanation for the old home remedy “stale cola” for diarrhea. -Also in this case there is a threat of dehydration and water is apparently not the best choice. Black tea is also recommended. And, it actually has a better value than water.
So, I find this knowledge extremely enlightening and useful.
You have to be careful that the disadvantages of sugar and calories don’t outweigh the advantages.
You should drink plenty of water, of course, as before.
But in a certain situation, you should know what works better.
Sources here: