There is a big business behind commercial drinks that supposedly satisfy urgent needs, such as hydration. The milk lobby even funds studies to sell it as the best hydrating drink.

However, experts such as Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, from the prestigious Harvard University (United States), continue to think that drinking water when you are thirsty is enoughalthough you can add some ingredients to turn it into a very refreshing isotonic drink.

Water does hydrate, and much more than milk

Water is the most hydrating drink. It seems obvious, but it needs to be emphasized because there are those who go so far as to say that there are other options that are more so. In fact, some time ago news began to emerge that milk hydrates better than water.

However, this claim is funded by the dairy industry and is based on studies that, as Dr. Robert H. Shmerling claims, include very few people, were conducted more than a decade ago, and have important limitations (such as being made in athletes) that means that their conclusions cannot be applied to ordinary people. Even so, the message sinks and surely there are many people who believe it.

But Not only does milk claim to be more hydrating than water itself: There are many soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks that compare their properties to those of water, although they tend to be very rich in sugars not at all recommended for health.

The importance of good hydration

In recent years, hydration has taken on a primary role. Hydrate well (with water) It is, in fact, very important for the proper functioning of our body: water constitutes approximately 60% of our body and plays a fundamental role in digestion, circulation, absorption and transport of nutrients or the regulation of body temperature, among other functions.

However, Dr. Shmerling states that the current obsession with drinking a lot of water (counting the 8 glasses a day that many recommend) or controlling fluid intake is not justified.

“Drinking when we’re thirsty is a sensible strategy for most of us.«says the expert. However, there are some situations that mean we should pay more attention to hydration:

• When it’s extremely hot.
• When doing intense exercise or working outdoors when it is hot or very humid.
• If there is any illness or health problemFor example, diarrhea.
• In elderly peoplewho sometimes do not feel the need to drink and can become dehydrated.
• You also have to control the babiesbecause they cannot express their thirst in words.

The best homemade isotonic water

Intense heat or exercise It can lead to dehydration and the loss of mineral salts through sweat and physical exertion. Instead of rehydrating yourself with commercial isotonic drinks, which sometimes contain a lot of sugar, you can use foods that help you replenish salts or prepare your homemade isotonic drink. adding some fruit and minerals to the water so that the osmotic concentration is similar to that of blood plasma and rapid absorption is encouraged.

These are the ingredients you need to prepare a liter of natural isotonic drink:

Mix all the ingredients in a jar and store it in the refrigerator. This is a drink suitable to take before, during and after physical exerciseand best of all: without sweeteners, colorings or other additives.