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Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

nytimes.com

51–55 of 55 posts

Re: Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

#51

Also mitigated many millions of hangovers, including my own. Too bad the commercial nature of “sports drinks” have dialed up the sugar and broke away from the clinical goal of rehydration.

You can always make your own sports drink, starting with the recipe from the World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1 Just 4 ingredients: Glucose, anhydrous (dextrose) Sodium chloride (salt) Potassium chloride Trisodium citrate, dihydrate Of course, the batch size of 75 kg may not be the most convenient for home use, but it's easy to scale down.

Is the trisodium citrate necessary or just for flavor?

Re: Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

#52
post #45
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down???

No, it activates receptors in the gut cells that let the water in. Without this bit of sugar, water just passes through, without getting absorbed.

Well, i'd argue your statement should start with the word "yes" then. Sugar, is in fact making the medicine go down (absorbed). My interpretation is that obviously a rehydration solution is just very slightly salty water, the taste is not the problem. But the water running straight through you is. Maybe the phrase could be corrected in this case, "makes the medicine stay down". Hmm

Re: Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can always make your own sports drink, starting with the recipe from the World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1 Just 4 ingredients: Glucose, anhydrous (dextrose) Sodium chloride (salt) Potassium chloride Trisodium citrate, dihydrate Of course, the batch size of 75 kg may not be the most convenient for home use, but it's easy to scale down.

Is the trisodium citrate necessary or just for flavor?

From the PDF linked by parent:

citrate corrects the acidosis that occurs as a result of diarrhoea and dehydration.

Re: Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

#54
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it activates receptors in the gut cells that let the water in. Without this bit of sugar, water just passes through, without getting absorbed.

Well, i'd argue your statement should start with the word "yes" then. Sugar, is in fact making the medicine go down (absorbed). My interpretation is that obviously a rehydration solution is just very slightly salty water, the taste is not the problem. But the water running straight through you is. Maybe the phrase could be corrected in this case, "makes the medicine stay down". Hmm

[deleted]

Re: Richard A. Cash, who saved millions from dehydration, has died

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the trisodium citrate necessary or just for flavor?

From the PDF linked by parent: citrate corrects the acidosis that occurs as a result of diarrhoea and dehydration.

So not necessary in a sports drink meant to keep someone hydrated rather than treat someone who is already severely dehydrated?
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