The results are surprising.
Summer is here and the heat is making itself felt, so it is essential to stay hydrated and drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, even when you are not thirsty. Maintain a good hydration guarantees physiological balance: it helps the kidneys drain waste out of the body, regulates body temperature, and ensures the proper functioning of organs. As you will have understood, drinking water is a sine qua non condition for staying healthy. But without replacing water, other drinks also have a strong hydrating power and would even be much more thirst-quenching, according to researchers from the Scottish University of Saint Andrews.
In their study published in the newspaper The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The scientists wanted to determine the ranking of the drinks that hydrate the most. To do this, they followed 72 healthy and physically active male individuals (aged 18 to 35) who they divided into two groups: the first group had to ingest 1 L of still water over a period of 30 minutes while the second had to drink 1 L of another drink such as sparkling water, soda, fruit juice, milk or coffee, again over a period of 30 minutes. All had to be fasting for 8 hours and have emptied their bladder. The participants were not to perform intense exercise or consume alcoholic beverages in the 24 hours preceding the tests. Thanks to the different measurements, the researchers were able to classify the drinks according to their “hydration index”.
The results are surprising: among the 13 drinks studied, still water only comes in 10th position. More precisely, “If still water is the drink that hydrates the fastest, it is not the one that allows you to stay hydrated in the long term, for example 2 hours after ingestion. Conversely, drinks that contain a small amount of sugar, fat or protein retain the liquid in the stomach longer before being absorbed by the blood and expelled through urine.“, explain the researchers who have revealed their ranking of the drinks that hydrate the longest:
- Skimmed milk
- Oral rehydration solutions (medications for dehydration)
- Whole milk
- The Orange juice
- Coca-Cola©
- Coca Light© (since replaced by Coca Zero©)
- Cold black tea
- Hot black tea
- Sports drinks such as Powerade©
- Flat water
- Carbonated water
- Lager beer (bottom-fermented beers, therefore low in alcohol)
- Hot black coffee
Whatever these researchers say, water is obviously the drink of choice for healthy hydration (without fat or sugar), and even more so in summer. The golden rule is not to wait until you are thirsty to drink. The Water Information Center (CIEAU) recommends drinking small quantities throughout the day and increasing your consumption in case of heat, fever or physical exercise. Last little tip for hydrating regularly: drink a large glass of water before sitting down to eat.