At this time of year it is essential to stay well hydrated and drink lots of water. But what if we tell you that water is not the drink that hydrates the most? Recent research by St. Andrews University in Scotland has revealed that there are other more hydrating drinks and that can quench our thirst for longer. Do you want to know what they are and why they exceed water in hydration? Right now we will tell you.
Milk, among the drinks that hydrate us the most
The new study of the University of St. Andrews has revealed that there are drinks that keep you hydrated longer than water. One of them is the milk. In order to reach this conclusion, they have compared the hydration responses of our body to several different drinks and have evaluated them according to two factors: the costumes consumed of a certain drink; the more you drink, the faster the drink empties from your stomach and is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it can dilute body fluids and hydrate you; and the nutrient composition of the drink.
Obviously water does a really good job of quickly hydrating the body, but for example drinks with a little sugar, fat, or protein they do an even better job because they keep you hydrated for a little longer.
What are the most hydrating drinks?
Ranked from most hydrating to least hydrating over a period of four hours unless we have skim milk, oral rehydration solutions, whole milk, orange juice, cola, diet cola, cold tea, tea, sports drinks, natural water, sparkling water, beer and coffee.
This ranking may be most surprising to you, but all the reasons for it are studied in research. For example, milk is more hydrating than normal water because it contains lactose from sugar, some proteins and some fats. This causes the emptying of fluid from the stomach to be delayed and to maintain hydration for a longer period of time.
Likewise, milk also contains sodium, which acts like a sponge, retaining water in the body and producing less urine. The same can be said for oral rehydration solutions used to treat diarrhea. These contain small amounts of sugar, as well as sodium and potassium, which can also help promote water retention in the body.
Benefits of water for our health
Although the water not be the drink that hydrates the most is essential to keep our body healthy, since in addition cleanse the body and eliminate toxins, it is an effective vehicle for transporting the vitamins and mineral salts that our cells need. Other of the many benefits it has are relieve fatigue, avoid headaches and migraines, aid in digestion and avoid constipation.
Also, H2O regulates the temperature of our body, thanks to its thermal properties and its ability to release body heat when sweat evaporates from the skin's surface; reduces the risk of colon and bladder cancer; improves the immune system, which can fight diseases like the flu, kidney stones and heart attack; Y help to lose weight, since water eliminates the by-products of fat and, in addition, when we drink water, the stomach fills up, making us lose our appetite a bit.
Although this study indicates that drinks with a little sugar, fat or protein keep you hydrated for longer, you should keep in mind that they are not always healthy for our body, as can be the case of soft drinks and drinks that are too sugary or beer because of the alcohol it contains. Thus, it is important that you choose well the drinks you drink this summer. What did you think of this investigation? Have you been surprised that water is not the drink that hydrates you the most?
