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Favorite electrolyte drinks?

Rebeccare

Moose Enthusiast
Messages
9,060
Location
Massachusetts
I've recently been advised to increase my fluid intake, and start drinking electrolyte drinks (preferably with lots of sodium in them). So now I'm on the search for a good electrolyte drink! Do you all have any favorite electrolyte drinks that you'd recommend? That don't taste awful??

I don't want to drink anything that's really sugary (I figure I'm not expending lots of calories on hard exercise, so I'm looking for something that's low sugar or sugar-free. And I'd prefer something that's not neon colored (it's just weird to drink something that's bright neon blue!). To start with I got a small container of orange flavored Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder, which is sweetened with stevia, but it only has 5 mg sodium. It's not terrible, but I have to dilute it pretty heavily or else the flavor is unpleasantly strong.

I welcome your suggestions!
 

BadBadBear

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Rocky Mountains
I mix my own. Sea salt, little bicarb, C salts (vitamin C), potassium if needed, sometimes add Calm magnesium. Then add lime or lemon and Stevia, or dilute OJ. Since I need a ton of salt, that is easiest.

If I buy something like Ultima, I add salt.
 

Richard7

Senior Member
Messages
772
Location
Australia
I mostly just make up tea (regular and herbal) with salt and potassium and go by taste. I quite like celestial seasonings "bengal spice" mixed with some rooibos, or hibiscus with a bit of ginger.

The usual concentration at the moment is high 1tsp salt 1tsp potassium chloride 1 litre herbal tea. But there are times, this morning, when that does not taste salty enough and I add more and times, last night, where it seems too strong.

I also sometimes add a little magnesium.

I have had some success with Oral Rehydration Solutions. The old WHO formulation was 20g glucose to 3.5g salt 1.5g potassium chloride and 2.5g sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) but I cannot handle that much glucose so I make it up with 12.5g amino acids in place of the glucose.

ORS works because we have sodium glucose symporters in our intestines that work by transporting one sodium ion and one molecule of glucose at the same time. There are other transporters that work the same way but with amino acids instead of glucose. A mix of aminos is probably best, I have used glycine, glutamine, arginine and Essential Amino Acids.

At the moment I am not making up exact mixtures, and just add some aminos to one or two litres of the salted tea per day.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I've tried different commercial ones from ElectroMix to Pedialite. When I really need the electrolytes I opt for Pedialyte Unflavored (not the brand name but the knockoffs from pharm chains like Walgreens). The flavored versions are disgusting to me.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I've been drinking Vitalyte for over 20 years. It used to be called Gookinaid, named for the developer Bill Gookin. I prefer this to plain water also, although I'd say only about half my fluid intake comes from Vitalyte.

Dr. Cheney recommended Vitalyte for electrolyte replacement:
https://www.dailystrength.org/group...sion/cfs-patients-have-70-normal-blood-volume
A study by Bell and Streeten established that the average CFIDS patient has only 70% of normal blood volume. To address this, Dr. Cheney recommends drinking one quart of an electrolyte solution daily on an empty stomach. The best one he has found is Vitalyte (Gookinaid).

Vitalyte is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream through the stomach lining because it is isotonicit matches the chemical concentration of the body's fluids.

When one of our local members asked Dr. Cheney about vitamin IV's, Gookinaid came up. While Dr. Cheney thinks the IV's can be very helpful, he told her that if they are inconvenient or expensive, she could get virtually the same benefit from her regular supplements and drinking Vitalyte. (This assumes there is no problem assimilating supplements.) Because Vitalyte absorbs so rapidly, it acts like an IV.

The glucose concerned some since it's a sugar and sugar feeds yeast. He said that it is not a concern with this product. Vitalyte passes directly from the stomach into the blood and never enters the intestinal tract where the yeast flourishes.

Only fluids similar in concentration to the body's are easily absorbed. Water can cause the cells lining the stomach to swell, and slow absorption. Solutions that are too concentrated can pull water from your body into your digestive tract.

The company was founded by Bill Gookin.

Homemade Replacement for Gookinaid (Vitalyte)
with no Sugar

1 cup Spring Water
1 cup Seltzer Water
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp "No Salt" Salt Substitute (potassium)

Drink 3 - 4 glasses sipped over ice daily. Observe blood pressure response. Consider stopping if blood pressure rises above 140/90. The type of water or amounts are irrelevant as long as it's some sort of filtered-type of water (not tap) and the ratios are the same.

The potassium has an unpleasant taste. One member adds several drops of stevia and puts an herbal tea bag in the empty 2 liter bottle she uses to hold this mixture. (Something to give it flavor without altering the electrolyte balance: peppermint, peach, raspberry zinger, etc.)

Gookinaid (Vitalyte) increases blood volume, reducing the symptoms of lightheadedness upon standing or when in a warm environment (ie bath).

This information came from our January 2002 newsletter.

From the March 2001 issue of the Cheney Clinic Online Newsletter
As Dr. Cheney says, Gookinaid increases blood volume without diluting your blood because it has the same concentration of glucose and critical electrolytes (especially potassium, and sodium) as blood. This means that the water, glucose and electrolytes tend to stay in your circulation, instead of being absorbed into the tissues which would cause edema or being excreted by the kidneys, which would cause frequent urination and loss of the electrolytes and water.

Vitalyte: 68mg Sodium / 92mg Potassium / 10g carbs
http://www.vitalyte.com/products/electrolyte-replacement/zesty-orange-kilo-jar.html

There's also a thread here about making your own electrolyte replacement drink:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/electrolyte-rehydration-recipes-ingredients.3900/
 

Rebeccare

Moose Enthusiast
Messages
9,060
Location
Massachusetts
I've been drinking Vitalyte for over 20 years. It used to be called Gookinaid, named for the developer Bill Gookin.
I can see why they changed the name...Gookinade doesn't quite roll off the tongue! Is there a particular flavor of Vitalyte that you like?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! This gives me a lot of options to investigate.
 

charlie1

Senior Member
Messages
315
Location
Canada
For those who make their own drinks, does it matter if its the chloride vs citrate form of potassium?
 
Messages
39
I mix 1/2 fruity tea (I like the celestial seasonings fruit ones) with 1/2 baby unflavored pedialyte since it has no dyes or artificial sweeteners. I buy the unflavored pedialyte by the case on amazon. This is what I’ve found works best for me and sits best with my stomach. It also tastes good without tasting artificial. I’ve also tried hi-lyte concentrate and liked that, although it has absolutely no sugar which I found didn’t absorb as well as pedialyte that had only the necessary amount of sugar.
 
Messages
65
Hat's off to those who mix their own! I buy powder mix. Saves trips to the store and is eco-friendly.
My favorite mixes are Emergen-C and Effer-C. You can but them online at Swanson Vitamins.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,899
Thanks for everyone who replied. It means a lot, I can't begin to tell you!!

OK...the herbal teas got me into a lot of trouble to begin with; bearing in mind that I wasn't using Pedialyte, or any other electrolyte replacement treatment. We're told to drink plenty of fluids while outside in our hot climate. Since we're porch sitters & bird watchers, I like to stay out as late as possible. I manage 'til about noon and hubby stays out all day, for some odd reason the heat doesn't bother him. Personally, I think it does, it's just that until something happens we don't make a connection between the two.

Yes, Rebecca, I 'm going to use the Ultima you recommended. I still think the Power Ade we're using is contributing to the somewhat painful outbreak of cold sores I have along my mouth. I'm not even prone to them; thus feel it's a contributing cause. I had something similar after contracting Shingles 3 times/one year. Talk about a living nightmare!! The nerve damage alone left me little time for anything else. I'm happy to say that 5 yrs. later it all seems to be history, although this latest breakdown has left me scared. That would be a total of 5 times that I've had them, and I really couldn't go through that again.

We had the vaccine when it first b/c available, but it only covered for 5 yrs. By then a new one, covering for 10 yrs. was available, but I'll warn you: You may have it after age 50 and will provide coverage for 10 yrs., but there is a waiting list for supplies of the drug. It's given in 2 stages, about 2-mos. apart. It's a dead vaccine, if that makes getting it easier for anyone. It's up to each person to partake of the of the lifestyle they choose, but thought should go into into and sadly, that's so lacking today. Thanks for the info. I'm taking all of it seriously...oh, did I mention that my glucose levels, once under control, are now raging high again. I'm hoping that if the electrolytes settle down then all else will follow. It would be nice for a change. Thanks folks, you've been a big help and I so appreciate it. Yours, Lenora.
 
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