The Aquarius soda, in principle, is intended as an isotonic drink for athletes. However, the use of this drink has become widespread. Currently, it is not uncommon to see sedentary people and people with little physical activity frequently use this drink. Especially for cases of diarrhea and gastroenteritis.
One of the uses that this drink is usually given is for recovery from gastroenteritis. However, is the Aquarius useful for gastroenteritis? This is the best option?
What is Aquarius?
Aquarius is a soft drink belonging to The Coca-Cola Company. This soft drink appeared in 1992 as a sports drink coinciding with the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. According to statements by this company about this soft drink:
"Its composition is designed to help achieve adequate hydration during the practice of physical activity."
The list of ingredients of this drink is: «water, sugar, acidulants: citric acid and malic acid, flavor enhancers: sodium chloride, potassium phosphate and calcium phosphate, acidity regulator: sodium citrate, antioxidant ascorbic acid, stabilizers: E-414 and E-445, zinc gluconate, sweeteners: sucralose and acesulfame K, natural lemon flavorings and other natural flavorings«.
Regarding its nutritional value, for every 100 milliliters of products it provides us with:
- Energy value: 18 calories
- Fat: 0 grams
- of which Saturated: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 grams
- of which sugars: 4.3 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Salt: 0.05 grams
Analyzing its nutritional content, this drink is a mixture of water with sugar and various chemicals that give citrus flavor. The calories come exclusively from the added sugar content, so in a bottle we can be ingesting more than 40 grams of free sugar.
Is it good for gastroenteritis?
Mainly, and summarizing what we will argue below: the distribution of electrolytes contained in this type of drink is indicated for water loss through sweat, not dehydration at the digestive level. These two dehydrations are not equivalent.
To argue this, we will base ourselves on the main electrolytes that are lost in each dehydration:
- Welder. It is removed above all sodium and to a lesser extent potassium.
- Gastrointestinal disorders. It is removed above all potassium and to a lesser extent sodium.
According to this, we can see that drinks like Aquarius, which mainly provide us with sodium, are not the best option. Also, these types of drinks, which have a high amount of glucose, will not benefit our digestive system. We could even assure that drinking this type of drink is quite similar to drinking a cola (although without gas).
In fact, it is not recommended to take Aquarius to restore hydration levels after finishing sports. It is not a magic drink that provides ideal micronutrients for the body. Unless we are a professional athlete or do long-distance competitions, we will always choose to drink water. The rest of the nutrients are better to acquire with an adequate diet.
According to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, we can observe the following fragment exposed in an article on acute gastroenteritis, referring to oral rehydration solutions:
"In any case, they must have an adequate glucose/sodium ratio (always less than 2/1) and an osmolarity similar to that of plasma, conditions that are not met by industrial solutions (Aquarius) or home solutions that have a shortage of electrolytes and a high osmolarity”
* To read more about acute gastroenteritis, I leave the link to the document of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics from which the previous fragment has been extracted.
And for diarrhea?
When you have diarrhea, your body loses extra water, in addition to electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride. People with inflammatory diarrhea (such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or secretory diarrhea (such as carcinoid syndrome) may have extreme fluid and electrolyte losses, leading to a dangerous form of dehydration that can be life-threatening.
Many people with chronic diarrhea treat their dehydration with sports drinks like Aquarius. However, as we discussed earlier, sports drinks are formulated to replace electrolytes lost in sweat during exercise. The amounts of sodium and potassium are not high enough to replace those lost through chronic diarrhea. However, sports drinks may work for people with mild diarrhea or if you cannot access a better alternative.
In addition, there are studies showing a potassium deficiency 48 hours later when Aquarius is taken exclusively to improve diarrhea. Keep in mind that there is so much sugar and other ingredients in this drink that its osmolality is much higher than what a normal body can handle. This higher osmolality actually pulls more fluid out of the cells, making dehydration and watery diarrhea worse, not better.
What do I take then in case of gastroenteritis?
The answer to this question is very simple: we need a good oral serum from the pharmacy. This serum will provide us with the amounts of potassium what do we need. Also, this serum will have a low osmolarity (low in glucose and sodium).
Some serums available on the market are:
- Recovery.
- Bioserum.
- Cytoral.
One thing we can see in oral rehydration solutions and most sports drinks is that they both contain some form of sugar, usually in the form of glucose. When glucose is present, the absorption of sodium and potassium increases. Therefore, rehydration drinks that contain all three components: sodium, potassium, and glucose are recommended.
Electrolyte replacement depends on the frequency and severity of diarrhea. If someone with chronic diarrhea complains of ongoing fatigue and severe diarrhea (15-25 trips to the bathroom per day), aggressive fluid and electrolyte replacement with oral rehydration solution is recommended.
People with three or four bowel movements a day can use sports drinks or electrolyte-spiked water, supplementing with oral rehydration solutions as needed.
Unfortunately, there are health professionals who continue to recommend these types of drinks, in addition to Actimel to "boost" the immune system and Danacol to improve cholesterol. None of these ultra-processed products have miraculous effects on the body. If you feel like having a flavored drink when you have gastroenteritis, try adding a little lemon or orange juice to the serum.