Pedialyte

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United States Navy personnel distributing Pedialyte to victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh US Navy 071201-M-7696M-188 U.S. Navy Lt. Pandora J. Liptrot, a Fleet Surgical Team 4 doctor assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), passes out bottles of Pedialyte during a humanitarian relief mission.jpg
United States Navy personnel distributing Pedialyte to victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh
Strawberry flavor Pedialyte front 3.jpg
Strawberry flavor

Pedialyte is an oral electrolyte solution manufactured by Abbott Laboratories and marketed for use in children. It was invented by Dr. Gary Cohen of Swampscott, Massachusetts.

Contents

Description

Pedialyte is claimed to promote rehydration and electrolyte replacement in ill children.[ citation needed ]

Pedialyte is lower in sugars than most sports drinks, containing 100 kilocalories per liter compared to approximately 240 in Gatorade. It contains more sodium (1,035 milligrams per liter vs. 465 mg/L in Gatorade) and potassium (780 milligrams per liter vs. 127 mg/L in Gatorade). Pedialyte does not contain sucrose, because this sugar has the potential to make diarrhea worse by drawing water into the intestine, increasing the risk of dehydration. In its flavored formulations, Pedialyte uses the synthetic sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium. [1]

Pedialyte has become a hydration alternative to sports drinks for some athletes. [2]

Pedialyte has become a popular drink for people suffering from hangovers, with one third of its sales coming from adults. There has been a 57% increase in its use by adults since 2012. As a result, Pedialyte has begun a marketing campaign promoting the use of Pedialyte by hungover adults. [3] [4]

Pedialyte is similar to rehydration fluids used by the World Health Organization (WHO) such as "New Oral Rehydration Solution" (N-ORS), that are used during the outbreak of illnesses such as cholera and rotavirus. Similar products include Lytren, NormaLyte, Gastrolyte, Ricelyte, Repalyte, Resol, Cordial, Hydralyte, [5] and Drip Drop. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholera</span> Bacterial infection of the small intestine

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This may result in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish. Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.

An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that are electrically conductive through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases, dissolved in a polar solvent like water. Upon dissolving, the substance separates into cations and anions, which disperse uniformly throughout the solvent. Solid-state electrolytes also exist. In medicine and sometimes in chemistry, the term electrolyte refers to the substance that is dissolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sucralose</span> Non-nutritive sweetener

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute. As the majority of ingested sucralose is not metabolized by the body, it adds very little food energy. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. It is produced by chlorination of sucrose, selectively replacing three of the hydroxy groups—in the C1 and C6 positions of the fructose portion and the C4 position of the glucose portion—to give a 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxyfructose–4-chloro-4-deoxygalactose disaccharide. Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than sucrose, 3 times as sweet as both aspartame and acesulfame potassium, and 2 times as sweet as sodium saccharin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar substitute</span> Sugarless food additive intended to provide a sweet taste

A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be derived through manufacturing of plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis. Sugar substitute products are commercially available in various forms, such as small pills, powders, and packets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate milk</span> Sweetened chocolate-flavoured milk

Chocolate milk is a type of flavoured milk made by mixing cocoa solids with milk. It is a food pairing in which the milk's mouthfeel masks the dietary fibres of the cocoa solids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatorade</span> Brand of sports-themed beverages and food products

Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was developed in 1965 by a team of researchers led by Robert Cade. It was originally made for the Gators at the University of Florida to replenish the carbohydrates that the school's student-athletes burned and the combination of water and electrolytes that they lost in sweat during vigorous sports activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports drink</span> Oral electrolytic infusion

Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and especially after training or competition. The evidence is lacking pertaining to the efficacy of use of commercial sports drinks for sports and fitness performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi One</span> Brand of cola produced by Pepsi

Pepsi One, corporately styled PEPSI ONE, was a sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo in the United States as an alternative to regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet soda</span> Type of sugar-free or artificially sweetened soda

Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium iodide</span> Ionic compound (KI)

Potassium iodide is a chemical compound, medication, and dietary supplement. It is a medication used for treating hyperthyroidism, in radiation emergencies, and for protecting the thyroid gland when certain types of radiopharmaceuticals are used. In the third world it is also used for treating skin sporotrichosis and phycomycosis. It is a supplement used by people with low dietary intake of iodine. It is administered orally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powerade</span> Sports drink brand

Powerade is a sports drink created and sold by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saline (medicine)</span> Saline water for medical purposes

Saline is a mixture of sodium chloride (salt) and water. It has a number of uses in medicine including cleaning wounds, removal and storage of contact lenses, and help with dry eyes. By injection into a vein, it is used to treat dehydration such as that from gastroenteritis and diabetic ketoacidosis. Large amounts may result in fluid overload, swelling, acidosis, and high blood sodium. In those with long-standing low blood sodium, excessive use may result in osmotic demyelination syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral rehydration therapy</span> Type of fluid replacement used to prevent and treat dehydration

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a type of fluid replacement used to prevent and treat dehydration, especially due to diarrhea. It involves drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and salts, specifically sodium and potassium. Oral rehydration therapy can also be given by a nasogastric tube. Therapy can include the use of zinc supplements to reduce the duration of diarrhea in infants and children under the age of 5. Use of oral rehydration therapy has been estimated to decrease the risk of death from diarrhea by up to 93%.

Dilip Mahalanabis was an Indian paediatrician known for pioneering the use of oral rehydration therapy to treat diarrhoeal diseases. Mahalanabis had begun researching oral rehydration therapy in 1966 as a research investigator for the Johns Hopkins University International Center for Medical Research and Training in Calcutta, India. During the Bangladeshi war for independence, he led the effort by the Johns Hopkins Center that demonstrated the dramatic life-saving effectiveness of oral rehydration therapy when cholera broke out in 1971 among refugees from East Bengal who had sought asylum in West Bengal. The simple, inexpensive Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) gained acceptance, and was later hailed as one of the most important medical advances of the 20th century.

David R. Nalin is an American physiologist, and Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research and Prince Mahidol Award, a.k.a. Mahidol Medal winner. Nalin had the key insight that oral rehydration therapy (ORT) would work if the volume of solution patients drank matched the volume of their fluid losses, and that this would drastically reduce or completely replace the only current treatment for cholera, intravenous therapy. Nalin led the trials that first demonstrated ORT works, both in cholera patients, and more significantly, also in other dehydrating diarrhea illnesses. Nalin's discoveries have been estimated to have saved over 50 million lives worldwide.

The CRAM diet is a short term dietary treatment for diarrhea and gastroenteritis.

In the United States, Suero Oral® is a brand name of an electrolyte solution used to re-hydrate after working in heat-intensive environments, athletic activity, to treat pediatric vomiting and diarrhea, and as a hangover remedy. The product is similar in formula to other popular pediatric electrolyte beverages such as Pedialyte®.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi Next</span> Discontinued soft drink

Pepsi Next is a discontinued cola-flavored carbonated soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It was a variant of the Pepsi cola range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Management of dehydration</span>

Dehydration can occur as a result of diarrhea, vomiting, water scarcity, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Management of dehydration seeks to reverse dehydration by replenishing the lost water and electrolytes. Water and electrolytes can be given through a number of routes, including oral, intravenous, and rectal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DripDrop ORS</span> Oral rehydration therapy

DripDrop is an oral rehydration solution company, based in Oakland, CA. Eduardo Dolhun founded the company in 2008 and began manufacturing in 2010. In practice, DripDrop ORS is used as a part of oral rehydration therapy.

References

  1. Calderone, Julia (4 February 2016). "24 foods that artificial sweeteners are hiding in". Business Insider. Insider, Inc. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. "Athletes, migrants drinking Pedialyte". United Press International . 26 December 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  3. Little, Katie (14 May 2015). "Got a Hangover? Pedialyte Says It Has a Cure". NBC News . Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  4. "Pedialyte now marketing to hungover adults". Fox News. 25 November 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. Carter, Warwick J. (2003). The Complete Family Medical Guide. Hinkler Books. ISBN   9781741218978. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  6. Reyes, Nancy (6 September 2008). "Cholera stalks Harare". Blogger News Network. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.