As festival season approaches, electrolyte tablets and sachets are being marketed as essential accessories for partygoers, promising faster rehydration than water and relief from hangovers. Brands like Happy Tuesdays, Holy Hydration, and ORS Hydration are targeting 'party people' with products claiming to replace lost minerals and prevent or recover from hangovers. UK health food chain Holland & Barrett is promoting them as 'festival essentials'.
Electrolytes are minerals vital for bodily functions such as regulating fluid levels and nerve impulses. However, Dr Sammie Gill, a specialist gastroenterology dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, says that for healthy people, taking electrolyte supplements is unnecessary. 'There are so many foods that are rich in electrolytes, including plant-based foods and dairy,' she notes.
Electrolytes may be useful after vomiting or diarrhoea, or during intense exercise over an hour in duration, especially in hot climates. While partying in a sun-baked field could theoretically lead to dehydration, Dr Gill suggests a simple homemade alternative: mix 200ml of water, 300ml of fruit juice, and a pinch of salt. Cow's milk is also a natural source of electrolytes with additional nutrients like protein.
Whether electrolyte sachets can ease hangovers is questionable. A review of UK hangover products on Amazon found modest amounts of potassium, sodium, and vitamin C. However, research led by Joris Verster at Utrecht University found that dehydration and hangovers are parallel outcomes of drinking, not directly causal. Drinking water during or after alcohol consumption has only a modest effect on symptoms. Dr Gill adds, 'Yes, thirst and dry mouth are common the next morning, and an electrolyte sachet might help with those symptoms, but it won't touch the main symptoms like headache.'
