Diluted apple juice works against the impending lack of fluids with mild diarrhea

Loss of fluid in case of diarrhea can be compensated for with diluted apple juice
Diarrhea in children can quickly become a critical complaint due to the loss of fluid. The administration of electrolyte solutions may therefore be necessary here. However, according to the results of a recent study, even diluted apple juice can compensate for fluid loss in the case of mild diarrhea - with the same success and fewer side effects.

The Canadian research team led by Stephen B. Freedman from the Alberta Children's Hospital at the University of Calgary in his current study comes to the conclusion that diluted apple juice is found in children who are showing the first signs of dehydration due to mild gastroenteritis (gastrointestinal infection) causes a comparable good compensation of the fluid loss, like the common electrolyte solutions. The researchers have published their results in the specialist journal "JAMA".

Diarrhea can easily cause internal dehydration in children
If children experience greater fluid loss as a result of diarrhea, this can result in a life-threatening lack of fluids. As a countermeasure, children are usually given electrolyte solutions if they show signs of dehydration. In their current study, the Canadian doctors now used 647 randomly selected children (mean age 28.3 months; 331 boys and 441 girls), who were treated clinically for mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration, to determine whether the loss of fluid could also be compensated for with diluted apple juice can.

Apple juice with better treatment results
On the basis of the improvement in the symptoms and the need for additional medical treatment, the success of the oral intake of the diluted apple juice was compared with the intake of an electrolyte solution. The therapy was unsuccessful in only 16.7 percent of the children in the apple juice group, whereas in the electrolyte group 25 percent of the children had to be treated again, Freedman and colleagues report. The researchers concluded that in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration, initially diluted apple juice should be given orally, followed by the preferred liquids. This leads to "fewer treatment errors" and a higher success compared to electrolyte solutions. (fp)

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Video: What happens if you dont drink enough water? Signs of Dehydration + 4 ways to keep hydrated (May 2022).