Many Indian households depend on Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) options to fight dehydration, significantly throughout summer season. However distinguishing actual ORS from vitality drinks marketed as such stays essential. ‘Meals pharmer’ Revant Himatsingka shares how one can examine actual vs pretend ORS.
Temperatures are rising throughout the nation, crossing 40 levels Celcius in lots of cities, resulting in extreme dehydration. Medical doctors sometimes suggest an Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) answer for diarrhoea and dehydration, particularly for infants and kids.
Most Indian households are stocked up with packets of ORS options, and use them to beat the warmth, additionally utilizing it for youngsters. Pharmacies are additionally stocked up with ORS options from totally different manufacturers, obtainable in several flavours.
The foremost bone of competition right here is, are these actual ORS options?
What’s the ORS answer?
Earlier than stepping into figuring out what’s actual and never, we first want to grasp the aim behind the creation of this life-saving answer.
In line with the WHO, diarrhoea is likely one of the main causes of loss of life in kids below the age of 5. Deaths as a result of diarrhoea happen as a result of dehydration, which will be prevented by giving fluids at residence, and in extreme instances, ORS.
ORS is a combination of salt and sugar dissolved in water that may deal with dehydration brought on by diarrhoea, warmth stroke or different sicknesses the place you lose plenty of fluid.
Used since 1969 by the WHO and UNICEF, it is likely one of the simplest remedies for medical dehydration the world over, which is affordable on the pocket too. It’s endorsed to deal with dehydration throughout all age teams.
ORS, a balanced glucose-electrolyte combination, is the identify of the answer and is NOT the identify of a model.
Learn how to establish pretend ORS?
There have been a number of information experiences and warnings by the FSSAI to firms to cease printing deceptive labels on vitality drinks and calling them ORS. But, it continues as pharmacies are stuffed with vitality drinks packaged as the answer, whereas it’s simply one other drink.
Revant Himatsingka, a well being coach and content material creator, who’s on a campaign in opposition to such mislabelling and misinformation, has shared a brand new video the place he explains how one can establish actual ORS.
He talks in regards to the points with pretend ORS — primarily the truth that it has excessive sugar and ‘dangerously low sodium’.
Experiences additionally present that vitality drinks disguised as ORS lead to worsening well being.
So right here’s how one can decide the suitable ORS:
- The right ORS product could have ‘based mostly on WHO formulation’ printed over it.
- Whereas actual ORS is a drug, the pretend ORS is simply an vitality drink that’s regulated by the FSSAI.
- If the ORS packet has an FSSAI signal on it, it’s pretend. If it doesn’t have the signal, it’s actual; buy it!
Edited by Pranita Bhat.
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