In the United States, Suero Oral® is a brand name of an electrolyte solution used to re-hydrate after working in heat-intensive environments, athletic activity, to treat pediatric vomiting and diarrhea, and as a hangover remedy. The product is similar in formula to other popular pediatric electrolyte beverages such as
Pedialyte
Pedialyte is an oral electrolyte solution manufactured by Abbott Laboratories and marketed for use in children. It was invented by Dr. Gary Cohen of Swampscott, Massachusetts.
Description
Pedialyte is designed to promote rehydration and electr ...
®.
The name originated as a reference to suero casero, a whey-based home remedy (also known simply as suero) given to children in parts of
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, and other
Spanish speaking areas. These homemade solutions are common to many households and used to combat
dehydration
In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mil ...
caused by illness, work in extreme heat, or by certain diseases.
Oftentimes, in these regions, these homemade solutions are referred to casually as ''suero casero'' (homemade serum), or ''sueros'', but this usage has not extended to the United States. In the United States, the product Suero Oral® contains a blend of water with sugars, flavoring agents (e.g. lemon) and salts to provide similar health benefits.
Many variations of electrolyte solutions exist throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and they are often recommended to those traveling to Latin America as a way to avoid dehydration. The United States
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F ...
missions to Latin America often conduct instructional sessions on crafting homemade versions to combat dehydration. Various health aid agencies, as part of their medical relief missions to Latin America, have conducted instructional sessions on crafting homemade liquid electrolyte solutions to counter the effects of dehydration.
References
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Non-alcoholic drinks