The ingredients in Pedialyte are obviously very gentle and delicately balanced as Pedialyte and related brands are recommended in large quantities for children (and adults, for that matter) who have been suffering from symptoms of flu, especially diarrhea and vomiting. One of the reasons why doctors frequently recommend Pedialyte for children is because unlike sports drinks, Pedialyte and related products for kids are not loaded with sugar. While sports drinks contain the same electrolyte contents, the sugar they contain can actually cause more harm than good, especially if the child has been vomiting or has had persistent diarrhea.
These drinks (which also come in the form of popsicles that have the same essential ingredients) contain electrolytes, which are one of the key ingredients of Pedialyte and related products, including drinks for adults like Gatorade and sports drinks. While you can find a full, detailed description of what electrolytes are in another article on this website, the short answer is that the electrolyte combination of sodium and potassium immediately restores these critical elements to the body as they are the ones lost during the dehydration causing event.
To be more specific, the main ingredients in Pedialyte are, in order of their content levels from highest concentration to lowest: water, dextrose, potassium citrate, sodium chloride and sodium citrate. In addition to these active ingredients in Pedialyte and similar drinks there are also coloring and flavoring agents, although these are in small amounts.
Essentially, the main ingredient, water, is a given. You knew that already and also know that dehydration, especially when children are involved, can be dangerous, thus water is the next best thing to an electrolyte solution. The second most prevalent ingredient in Pedialute is dextrose, which is a complex word for a sugar. Glucose, dextrose, and sugar are all synonymous for the purposes of what we’re talking about here and it should be noted that this sugar is not the same type of sugar one might one put on cereal or that’s found in candy; it’s a simple sugar that the body makes. It is critical to life as it provides energy to cells and ultimately, to our entire bodies.
The potassium and sodium citrate ingredients in Pedialyte are the electrolytes that provide the materials for a critical processes of life. An imbalance in electrolytes (this can be caused by the dehydration following an illness or extreme exercise and fluid loss) can cause a lack of regulation of hydration functions and can change the pH of your body temporarily, which can lead to several possible problems ranging from numbness to extreme sluggishness. These ingredients in Pedialyte and other drinks, including Gatorade, provide the body with the essential materials for chemical reactions that spur our muscles and neurons into action.
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