What drinks are more hydrating than water?

Drinking water daily and in sufficient quantity is essential for the body to function properly. O World Health Organization recommended to consume between 1.5 and 2 liters of water every day. But be careful, the WHO calculation was made taking into account everything we ate throughout the day.

If, for example, we eat a salad, a steak or a juice… we are also consuming water… in different proportions, but water nonetheless. All these small amounts of water add up until – little by little – they approach the requirements of the institution. So, if we take this into account, we will see that complying with your recommendation is quite reasonable for most people… and without the need to make supernatural efforts.

Now, this drinking water has a vital importance for the human body and that it provides many benefits for its proper functioning, does not necessarily mean that it is the more hydrating drink. According to a study carried out by the University of St Andrews in Scotland, water does a great job of keeping the body hydrated. However, there are other drinks that may do better:

The most hydrating drinks

Researchers at the University of St Andrews analyzed several drinks and found that those containing a little protein, fat and sugar (a little) generally does a better job than water at keeping us hydrated for longer. Good example of this is The milk.

to contain lots of nutrients -such as sugar, lactose, proteins and fats- the emptying of liquid from the stomach is delayed, which makes hydration last longer. Furthermore, this drink is also especially hydrating because contains sodium, which is an element that -due to its structure- acts like a sponge that retains water in the body.

Other drinks that also include sodium are isotonic drinkswhich are those specially formulated for recover lost minerals during sports training. Although we can also include in this category oral rehydration drinks that are used to recover from fluid loss caused by diarrhea.

These drinks not only include sodium, but also include potassium and a small amount of sugar. These elements help with water retention. Furthermore, the calories provided by these drinks also cause slower gastric emptyingwhich makes urination slower.

drink with a large amount of concentrated sugars, such as fruit juices or soft drinks, are not as hydrating as water, milk or sports drinks. Its high concentration of sugars is diluted in the small intestine through a process called osmosiswhat removes water from the body.

Now, while staying hydrated is important… It's not the only thing that matters. In fact, there are many other elements that can be much more significant when choosing the best drink. To stay hydrated, you just need to let's drink when we're thirsty. Or at least that's how it is in most cases. There are exceptional situations, such as elite athletes or elderly people… who perhaps – due to their particular situation – should be more attentive to this issue than normal.