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Study Finds Water Isn't the Best Drink for Hydration
For years, the common belief has been that if you need to get hydrated, water is the best bet. However, a study says that is not the case.
According to CNN's Lisa Drayer, the study done by the University of St. Andrews in Scotland that compared the body's hydration responses to different drinks discovered that water did not produce the best results.
Instead, it was drinks that contained a bit of protein, fat and/or sugar. Now, that's not to say that water isn't good for hydration, but there are better alternatives, the study says.
Surprisingly, milk was one of those alternatives. The reasons behind that have to do with lactose, which is a sugar, and milk's protein and fat.
Those three things help to slow down fluid emptying from the stomach. In addition, sodium and potassium also aid in keeping the body hydrated.
The study warns that not all drinks with sugar, like juice and soda, are created equal when it comes to hydrating.
Drinks that contain higher levels of concentrated sugar are found to be worse hydration methods than water. Such beverages stay in the stomach for longer, but also pull water from the body as it processes the sugar.
When it comes to alcohol, stronger forms, like whiskey, for example, actually dehydrate, while beer shows better results.
Coffee can be effective at hydrating, also, but that depends on how many milligrams of caffeine are consumed. The sweet spot is approximately 80 milligrams of Finds Water Isn't the Best Drink for Hydration first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 27, 2025
