2023-05-07 02:39:08
Contrary to popular belief, water is not the best liquid to hydrate you, reveals a study from the University of St-Andrews, Scotland.
By analyzing the hydration rate associated with several beverages, researchers have found that liquids containing a small amount of sugar, fat or protein keep people hydrated longer than traditional water.
According to the author of the study, Professor Ronald Maughan, it is the way our body absorbs a drink that explains this situation.
The volume ingested is one of the factors influencing the rate of hydration. The more liquid you drink, the faster it is removed from your stomach and absorbed into your bloodstream, keeping you hydrated.
Milk is more hydrating than water
The nutritional value of a liquid plays a big role in hydration. For example, the presence of lactose (sugar), protein and fat in milk means that it hydrates over a longer period of time than water.
The sodium in milk also acts like a sponge that retains more water in your body, causing you to urinate less.
Commercial rehydration solutions, which are taken especially when suffering from diarrhea, are another example of superior hydration to water due to the presence of small amounts of sugar, sodium and potassium.
Less hydrating sugary drinks
The researchers mention, however, that a drink with a higher concentration of sugar will not hydrate you as much as water.
Fruit juices or soft drinks take a little longer to digest in the stomach.
Additionally, their high sugar concentration is diluted by the process of osmosis which uses water from your body into your small intestine. This water therefore does not help to hydrate you.
If you have a choice between a soft drink or water, always choose water, says registered dietitian Melissa Majumdar.
beer and coffee
Alcohol has a diuretic effect; it therefore makes you evacuate more urine. The more a drink has a high concentration of alcohol, the more it dehydrates you.
As for coffee, reasonable consumption can hydrate you satisfactorily. A cup of coffee provides hydration similar to a glass of water. However, drinking two to four cups of coffee will cause you to lose fluids, causing a short-term diuretic effect.
Such an effect will be more powerful in a person who is not used to consuming caffeine. Adding a teaspoon or two of milk to your coffee can eliminate this effect.
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