About Pocari sweat

[bluecrystal550]

Hi All,

We live in China and I recently discovered the drink of pocari sweat. My 3-year-old daughter loves it and she hates to drink plain water. So I did a little research about the drink. Still couple of questions remains in my head. That's why I want to ask you guys here.

- Is it really very porpular in Japan? Is it true that doctors suggest the drink to patients?

- Can a 3-year-old child drink it?

Thanks!

[steven]

This year was particularly hot. Most middle schools had their Undokai (sports day) last week, so I think a lot of schools were worried about the health and safety of their kids. Schools in my area were suggesting their students drink "sports drinks". In Japan the two big "sports drinks" are Pocari Sweat and Aquarius. By sports drinks, I mean drinks that include sodium to replenish what is lost by sweating. I was curious myself, so I asked a lot of my students which they liked better, Pocari or Aquarius. Everyone I asked said they liked Aquarius better. When I asked why, they didn't really have a reason other than it's more popular. Personally speaking, I usually buy Aquarius because it tends to be cheaper (at least in my area).

As far as I know, those two drinks basically consist of water, sodium, and citrus fruit (or their flavors). Japan has like thousands of citrus fruit so I don't really know off hand which are included.

Looking at the wikipedia article on Pocari Sweat, it says that it was created by what appears to be a Pharmaceutical company. The article says the ingredients listed are "water, sugar, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium lactate, magnesium carbonate and flavor" and quotes the Pocari website for that. It says that it has a mild grapefruit flavor-- I think that is pretty accurate.

Personally, I don't see why it wouldn't be safe for a 3 year old. Then again, I'm not a doctor so I wouldn't be listening to me if I were you. I'd ask an actual doctor about it if you're concerned.

[MMM]

I think it is fine for a 3 year old, but like anything else, as long as it is done in moderation.

[edelweiss]

Sports drinks are not a replacement for water. People drink sports drinks after heavy exercise to replenish their electrolytes. Here's a piece from Columbia University's Health Q&A:

The main idea behind sports beverages is to help keep people hydrated and supplied with energy throughout extended bouts of exercise. These concoctions contain carbohydrate, sodium, potassium, and occasionally other substances. The carbohydrate in these drinks provides energy, especially when the athlete has used up much of his or her glycogen (stored carbohydrates). The sodium increases the exerciser's "drive to drink," helping him or her to take in adequate amounts of fluid. Since people lose some electrolytes (e.g., sodium and potassium) from sweating during physical activity, including them in a sports drink makes sense.

Do children need this stuff? Certainly not if they're sitting around watching TV or playing computer games. Sports beverages contain calories — usually about 60 to 75 per 8 oz. serving (in comparison, soda pop has 100 calories per 8 oz. portion). These calories add up significantly if kids are drinking a lot of this stuff. Many of these fluid replacement drinks come in bottles of 20 and 32 oz. sizes, which will total 150 - 300 calories if the entire bottle is consumed. The added sugars in sports beverages are unnecessary for children. If they're playing leisurely, many would fare better by drinking water or unsweetened flavored seltzers. Plus, it would be better for their teeth. For those kids who may need the extra calories, however, 100 percent juice is a much better option. [So is milk, but as many parents know, this can be a tough sell (although chocolate milk can sometimes win over kids)!].

In addition, most children don't really need the extra sodium these beverages provide, which can be as high as 50 - 110 mg per 8 oz serving. This ingredient can add up significantly as well, and certainly isn't necessary in light of the high sodium content of many snack foods kids eat.

The potassium found in sports drinks is too small to be of concern. A typical sports beverage has only 20 percent of the potassium found in one glass of orange juice. Some sports beverages are fortified with additional vitamins. Since numerous products have added vitamins and minerals, it's highly possible to take in dangerous levels of some of these nutrients. Read food and beverage labels carefully to see what may have been added to them.

For children, limiting or eliminating sports drinks and replacing them with water and/or unsweetened flavored seltzers is a good idea, given the reasons above and the amount of excess empty calories many of them already take in these days.

I wouldn't drink water when I was a kid. But trust me that when I got thirsty enough and was not given any other options, I drank the water.

[steven]

I agree with most of what that article says. What I got from it is that most kids don't need this stuff because they are sitting around all day and they already get plenty of salty high calorie food. I also doubt that a 3 year old is doing enough strenuous activity to warrant drinking a ton of this stuff- however, like MMM said, moderation is key. If it's a hot & humid summer day, I'm sure the kid will appreciate it.

However, for kids who play a lot of sports and are outside in the sun for a long time during the day (like kids in Japan during sports day when it is extremely hot and humid), not drinking sports drinks is dangerous. Just drinking water doesn't it, even for people who are well fed. If you've ever seen a kid collapse in the heat, you know what I mean. Busting your chin open in the dirt (or asphault) is painful, embarassing, and permanent. With that said a sports drink is a great idea. Given the other options, it's also something portable and easy. You could eat a bowl of ramen or eat a bag of potato chips, I suppose... but I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice doing something like that before doing sports. Calorie wise it seems like a better idea than soda! it could be a way to ween your kid off of too much soda I guess.

It makes me wonder what people used to do though... back in the "olden" days, you know? Were people just passing out left and right or did they have an alternative to gatorade/pocari back then?

[Nyororin]

Pocari is actually recommended as a way to keep people hydrated without using an IV. This goes for anyone - from babies though adulthood. It was basically designed as "drinkable IV fluid".

The key point there is that it`s usually for situations where you need the extra hydration - other times and it`s about the same as any other drink. If you don`t need the extra hydration, it just gets washed out of the body.

It is safe for kids as there isn`t really anything that could be harmful in it - I have heard that it can be a bit overly sweet for small children, so it`s fairly common to thin it with water for them. (Obviously not when it`s being used for quick hydration.)

I would say that for children though, it`s most popular as a drink for when they are sick. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea - the doctor will usually suggest that you give them Pocari as it`s easy to keep down and helps replenish the lost fluid.

[steven]

I guess mother knows best! I wonder if drinking a bottle of Pocari/Aquarius would help reduce a hangover? I might try that the next time I have an enkai.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by edelweiss

Sports drinks are not a replacement for water. People drink sports drinks after heavy exercise to replenish their electrolytes. Here's a piece from Columbia University's Health Q&A:



I wouldn't drink water when I was a kid. But trust me that when I got thirsty enough and was not given any other options, I drank the water.

Pocari and Aquarius are different than Gatorade and PowerAde in the US. You can just tell by looking at them.

(As was stated before) during this especially hot summer in Japan, Pocari was recommended by health officials as the best way to keep healthy and hydrated. I thought that was surprising, as in the US, water is always the #1 recommended drink. But we don't have the same sports drinks in the US as they do in Japan.

Originally Posted by steven

I guess mother knows best! I wonder if drinking a bottle of Pocari/Aquarius would help reduce a hangover? I might try that the next time I have an enkai.

No need to wonder. It is a wonder-drug that works wonders ... without drugs.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by steven

I guess mother knows best! I wonder if drinking a bottle of Pocari/Aquarius would help reduce a hangover? I might try that the next time I have an enkai.

DO NOT DO THIS.
If you do, be sure to tell everyone about the results afterward so they can laugh at you.

Pocari raises the speed of absorption and can slow the processing of alcohol. Drinking Pocari tends to make you hold onto the alcohol longer (longer hangover), and any remaining in your stomach will be quickly absorbed making things worse. It`s goal is to make you more hydrated, and will push you to hold onto stuff you probably want out after a long drinking session.

I imagine it is fine if you no longer have any alcohol in your system - but by that point, you`re probably not going to need to reduce a hangover.

By the way - for children, avoid Aquarius at all costs. Aquarius is an artificially sweetened drink. It contains sweetener chemicals that are not safe for children (and probably not adults, really, which is why I will not drink it).

----------------
ETA; Pocari is supposedly a good way to "refresh" an alcohol "buzz" though. It`s the number one worst thing you can drink though if you`ve had too much to drink, even if that was hours ago. This is a big reason why you will see people offering *water* but never anything like Pocari.

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

.

By the way - for children, avoid Aquarius at all costs. Aquarius is an artificially sweetened drink. It contains sweetener chemicals that are not safe for children (and probably not adults, really, which is why I will not drink it).

NNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I like Aquarius way more than Pocari Sweat...