For Effective Hydration, Don't Be Afraid of (a small amount of) Sugar

When people start getting serious about getting in shape or taking their training to their next level, cutting down on sugar (or even cutting it completely) often winds up being one of their first steps. And for the most part, it’s a very smart move; modern processed food is filled with refined sugar, which studies have shown have all kinds of detrimental health effects, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. But small amounts of sugar, used in the right way, can actually lead to more effective hydration, and in turn, better performance.

Glucose is one of the major keys to clean hydration. It’s a simple sugar that is ideally sourced from plants, not junk food labs. Your body breaks down glucose and turns it into energy — in fact, it’s the body’s number one source of energy. And glucose is even more helpful when combined with other important nutrients, like electrolytes, which are a key building block in sports drinks. But for decades, most sports drinks have been packed full of sugar — way more than just the small amount needed for optimal hydration.

On the surface, it seems ironic. Big sports drink companies are pumping people full of sugar, while formulas with just a bit of glucose are being used to save millions of lives. Really, that’s no exaggeration — back in the late ‘70s, after over a decade of research, the World Health Organization developed what it called Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). It’s a liquid solution that uses glucose to increase the intake of electrolytes, which in turn opens up a firehose of water directly into the system. To get a little more scientific, when glucose, sodium and water are mixed together just right, water can be better absorbed through the intestinal wall, maximizing its hydrating power.

ORS has been used to treat dehydration for four decades since and has saved the lives of over 50 million people, many living through famine and disease. It is the very definition of effective hydration.

With such incredible humanitarian results, it’s clear that clean hydration is something that should be more widely available. That’s where Cure comes in. It’s a solution that’s been developed to meet the World Health Organization’s exacting standards for emergency hydration. Unlike traditional sports drinks, Cure doesn’t pile on any processed sugars; instead, our expertly developed solution derives all the glucose necessary for effective hydration from organic coconut water, a natural source that has been proven to enhance a body’s ability to rehydrate.

Studies have shown that coconut water is more effective than plain water at hydrating athletes after exertion. And when enhanced with other electrolytes, especially sodium, it provides top-level rehydration.

In a 2007 study that compared sugar sports drinks, plain water, regular coconut water, and sodium-enriched coconut water (the closest thing to Cure), researchers found that the sodium-enriched coconut water provided just as much hydration as sports drinks — and, significantly, did not cause the negative side effects of sugary sports drinks. After a workout, you need to replace a lot of fluids and nutrients, and the study found that heavy consumption of sports drinks leads to fullness and upset stomach. Not exactly ideal for athletes, and that doesn’t even begin to address the longer term side effects of consuming excessive amounts of processed sugar.

Cure is focused on clean hydration and keeping things as pure as possible. The organic coconut water in our formula provides just enough glucose to meet the WHO’s standards for ORS, but that’s it — our solution is carefully calibrated to satisfy doctors, athletes, and weekend warriors alike. With Cure, you’ll reap the maximum hydration benefits of glucose and electrolytes while avoiding the problems of processed sugar, making it the epitome of clean hydration.