Researchers at several universities in the USA, Canada, and the UK have found that while water is important, a drink with a little sugar, a little fat, and a little protein actually keeps our body hydrated much better and, most importantly, for much longer.

Moreover, it's important to know another characteristic: the more you drink, the more water leaves the stomach and is absorbed into the bloodstream faster. This dilutes body fluids, but it hydrates us better, which is crucial for a healthy body.

For example, research has shown that milk hydrates the body much better than water. The most important element here is lactose! The proteins and fats in milk help retain fluid in the stomach, thus maintaining adequate moisture for the longest time.

In addition, milk also contains sodium, which acts like a sponge and retains water in the body, resulting in less urine output. In this case, milk has properties similar to oral rehydration solutions used to prevent diarrhea. Another important element in milk is sugar, which, together with sodium and potassium, helps retain water in the body.

Although sugar is a beneficial element in this case, in drinks where there is too much of it, it causes a lot of harm. Namely, sugary drinks (carbonated and regular) stay in the stomach longer, the stomach tries to break down the artificial substances, and in doing so, uses even more water. Such drinks, instead of hydrating the body, do the opposite. The fluid does not pass into the small intestine; instead, a high concentration of sugar appears, which negatively affects our health.

Furthermore, liquid calories never satiate us and they spoil the daily calorie balance. And quite significantly!

Since people don't have a sense of which drink is healthier, and even less why, water is of course the best recommendation. Milk and drinks with a lot of electrolytes are better, but only if we don't overdo it with them.