Pedialyte May Help a Hangover but It Will Not “Cure” It

Originally intended for children with diarrhea , Pedialyte electrolyte drink has gained a reputation as a hangover cure, with a third of its customers being adults. Will it cure a hangover? Probably not, but it might help a little.

Hangover party people and children with stomach upset have one key symptom: dehydration. Electrolyte drinks contain sodium, which tells your kidneys not to urinate as much, which helps you hydrate. They also contain other electrolytes that you may have lost, such as potassium. This is the same idea as sports drinks, but Pedialyte contains more electrolytes and fewer calories than Gatorade and the like.

So there is a rumor behind the rumor and thus some truth behind the company’s new advertising campaign (which does not use the word “hangover”, but calls for adults to “rehydrate” in a tweet dated May 6 with the tag #dayaftercinco).

However, this is still not a hangover cure. A hangover is more complex than just dehydration : Scientists are still puzzling over the details, but the dire morning symptoms seem to stem from a combination of factors such as withdrawal symptoms, the toxicity of chemicals your liver makes when alcohol is broken down, and the response of the immune system. Pedialitis can’t do anything about it.

Is Pedialyte really the talked about hangover miracle cure? | Great

Photo by Kinio .

Vitals is a new blog from Lifehacker dedicated to health and fitness. Follow us on Twitter here .

More…

Leave a Reply