As temperatures rise here in the Northeast, more of my patients are turning to pre-made oral rehydration solutions (ORS) to prevent or manage dehydration.
Since many are actively limiting sugar, they often reach for sugar-free electrolyte packets.
But here’s the catch: for ORS to actually work for many of our patients, it needs both glucose and sodium.
These two team up to enhance fluid and electrolyte absorption in the small intestine—a combo that’s especially important for patients with severe diarrhea or high-output ostomies.
That’s why I’m steering patients toward either homemade ORS recipes or products with a more ideal glucose-to-sodium ratio.
Here are some ORS products my patients like. While the concentrations of electrolytes and sugar vary slightly among these products, they meet the hydration needs for most of my patients.
- Skratch Labs Hydration Mix
- Triooral Rehdyration
- Ceralyte
- Liquid I.V.
All of these are free from artificial dyes and sweeteners, but Ceralyte and Liquid I.V. contain stevia, which some patients may want to avoid. For those patients, I suggest trying Skratch,Trioral or a homemade ORS.
NOTE: Many brands offer both sugar-free and glucose-containing versions, so patients need to read labels carefully.
