Pedialyte, a hangover cure? According to Miley Cyrus and health officials, the answer is yes. Abbott Laboratories, the maker of Pedialyte, originally a product to treat children dehydrated from colds or flu, has launched a campaign targeting adults in need of a fast hangover cure.
Could Pedialyte be a hangover cure? Some experts and famous partiers say yes. For years now, Pharell Williams and Miley Cyrus have been telling fans that “nothing cures a nasty hangover like Pedialyte.”
Last year, Williams tweeted: “The perfect rider…candy, Pedialyte and Carl Sagan.” The superproducer also confessed to drinking the children medicine every day.
Around the same time, Cyrus was photographed looking high or drunk with a bottle of Pedialyte in her hand. Sensing a great business opportunity, Abbott Laboratories, the maker of Pedialyte has launched a series of ads targeting adults in search of hangover cures.
Originally, the product invented by Dr. Gary Cohen was for children suffering from dehydration caused by colds or flu. The brand has launched an ad campaign “See the Lyte” where it shows grown men desperately searching for the product to get rid of their hangovers.
“When last night’s party threatens to ruin today, those in the know reach for Pedialyte,” said one of the ads. Some experts say the amount of sugar, glucose and fructose, and electrolytes contained in Pedialyte can make an adult feel better.
“Both glucose and fructose contained in Pedialyte can help both children and adults reabsorb water along with depleted electrolytes, and thus aid in rehydration,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, Attending Emergency Room Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “It may also offer benefit to those who have experienced symptoms of a hangover associated with vomiting and dehydration, since it may help aid in replacement of needed fluid and important electrolytes.”
Others say, people should not waste money on Pedialyte and Gatorade because they are no better for a hangover than tap water. “Even though the diuretic effect of alcohol may cause the body to lose some electrolytes, it’s not so much that you need to replace them right away,” shared Samir Zakhari, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Adult use of Pedialyte has increased by 57 percent since 2012, according to market research firm Nielsen.
What are your thoughts on Pedialyte as a hangover cure?
