Homemade Electrolyte Solution

Sorry for the double post but I should probably provide more information. The only time sugar "feeds" bad bacteria is when it is not digested properly when there are certain conditions in the gut. Like that of people with lactose intolerance (they lack the enzyme lactase to break apart lactose, which is bonded galactose and glucose), and people who need diets such as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (these people benefits from such a diet by avoiding bonded carbs, if you read it up you will find lots of useful information, especially if you or anyone you know has intestinal disorders).

If this is being used for dehydration, potassium and sodium is most important( add Dextrose Powder (glucose)). Citric acid also seems to be a main ingredient in most oral solutions, not sure if it's for taste, but some info says it has some purpose as an electrolyte(not sure on this one).

Anyways, Here is a list of electrolytes:

Sodium (Na+ )
Potassium (K+)
Calcium (Ca2+)
Magnesium (Mg2+ )
chloride (Cl-)
phosphate (HPO42-)
bicarbonate (HCO3-)
Sulfate (SO4-)

Use this link for proper daily amounts
http://www.sparknotes.com/health/minerals/major/section1.rhtml

There is lots of misinformation in this thread. First of all the "SUGAR" that is used to increase absorbtion of salts is not a Di-saccharide sugar like that of table sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar, or saccharose. Pure glucose is used instead. It is the simplest form of sugar (un-bonded), requires zero digestion, and will not "feed" bad bacteria.

I am a pediatric RN, therefore, as an RN and not a doctor, I cannot diagnose, but the solution must have some type of calories to work better than plain old water. The calories help the solution to be absorbed before it is lost in some unsavory fashion. Sugar-free Kool-Aid has no artificial sweeteners and nothing that will harm a child. I do not recommend giving orange anything to a sick person. Way too much citric acid. The solution of 5 cups of boiled, cooled water, 1 T. of "table" sugar, one half t. of salt substitute, one half t. of "table" salt, is the best solution. In my opinion better than Pedialyte and way better than Gatorade.

If you want to maintain the water level in a leaking bucket, you simply keep adding water. The same is true with a child with diarrhea, fluids in his body must be replaced. This is called rehydration.
Until recent years, this was done by feeding a salty solution directly into the veins (intravenous therapy). Though this was effective and still remains the best treatment for dangerously dehydrated children, it presents problems. It is costly, and it requires skilled personnel and sophisticated equipment, usually available only at health centers or hospitals. These may be far removed from the suffering child. Intravenous therapy is thus out of reach for the majority of those needing it.

Nevertheless, particularly since the 1960's, there has been another therapy available that is safer, simpler, and cheaper than the intravenous method. It is called oral rehydration therapy or simply ORT. Like the intravenous treatment, ORT replaces lost fluids and salt. But instead of having the fluid injected into his veins, a child can drink it.
Why wasn't this thought of before? It was. The problem was that diarrhea not only drains fluids from the body but also Restricts liquid from being absorbed through the intestinal wall. So simply drinking fluids was ineffectivemost of it passed straight through the body.

But, then, quite by accident an important discovery was made. Medical scientists working with oral rehydration methods added sugar to salt solutions to make them more pleasant to drink. In doing so, they discovered that the body absorbed not only the sugar but also the lifesaving salts and water! The sugar was like a key that unlocked the door to the solution of the problem. When the correct mixture was given, it was found that Sugar could increase absorption 25 times!

Significant? Lancet, a leading British medical journal, hailed the discovery as potentially the most important medical advance this century. And UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) called it one of the simplest but most important breakthroughs in the history of science!
Why? Because now parents can treat their children at home! No special equipment is needed, nor extensive training. It is inexpensive too. Commercially produced packets of oral rehydration salts cost only a few cents and are becoming widely available through various health programs and organizations. All parents need do is mix the salts with water and let the child drink the solution.
But what if prepackaged salts are not available? Parents can make up their own rehydration drink with ingredients found in the home. Though homemade solutions are not as effective as the prepackaged variety, they are a good second choice. And while doctors question their value in correcting advanced dehydration, most agree that homemade solutions play a vital role when taken at the onset of diarrhea.

Sugar is a very important part of the formula in "A salty drink that saves lives". That is why the measurements are so exact.

You guys should be careful about adding too much sugar, Karo syrup, or juice. No sugar is necessary, the sodium chloride and water are enough, and the sugar may actually be harmful depending on the cause of the ¨runs¨.

If it's an intestinal bacterial infection, then sugar will become food for the bacteria and make the illness last longer.

Electrolytes are really just salts... but you guys are only adding sodium chloride (table salt). Pedialyte also has potassium salts in it. You can find potassium chloride in ¨salt substitutes¨ in your grocery store.

I would recommend replacing the sugar with potassium chloride of the same dosage as the sodium chloride, unless your children are on antibiotics or you know it isn't bacteria causing the illness. If it needs flavor, then add a tiny bit of zero calorie crystal light. Zero calorie ensures it has no sugar, but the aspartame probably isn't good for your children either. Then again, it's in diet coke, diet anything, so its really negligible if it gets them to drink this cheap homemade Pedialyte solution.

Here is the homemade solution that doesn't use any commercial products:

A Salty Drink That Saves Lives!
Important! You must use exact measurements.

Table salt: One level teaspoonful
Sugar: Eight level teaspoonfuls
Water: One liter (5 cupfuls at 200 ml each)

How much to give: Amount given should approximate fluid loss. Roughly, one cupful of rehydration drink should be given for each loose stool passed; half that for small children. (Babies can be spoon fed the solution.)