What Is An ORS?

An Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) contains a precise ratio of sodium electrolytes and glucose that activates the body’s sodium-glucose cotransport system to facilitate fluid absorption. Developed in the 1960s, the World Health Organization's ORS formula has been used to treat life-threatening dehydration where IV therapy is not practical.

The ORS challenge

To activate the sodium-glucose co-transport system, an ORS formula requires higher sodium electrolyte content and lower glucose (sugar) content than traditional rehydration beverages like sports drinks. The result: poor taste. To address this, most “electrolyte products” compromise efficacy by lowering sodium electrolyte levels, increasing glucose levels, or both. The result: They don’t work very well.

Why DripDrop

Dr. Eduardo Dolhun developed the DripDrop formula to solve the ORS taste problem without compromising efficacy.

DripDrop contains the medically relevant sodium electrolyte levels and lower glucose content required, in a low osmolarity formula that facilitates fast absorption, AND it tastes great.

The invention was such a breakthrough that the DripDrop formula received a U.S. Patent, and Dr. Dolhun was awarded the 2017 Mayo Clinic Alumni Association Humanitarian Award.

DripDrop vs Alternatives

Rehydration requires sufficient sodium electrolytes

How it works

Sodium electrolytes

When it comes to dehydration, not all electrolytes are created equal. We've come to think of sodium as bad, but the human body is 60% salt water. Sodium is, in fact, the critical electrolyte for dehydration recovery. It promotes better fluid intake, helps maintain greater fluid volume, and lowers urine output. Problem is, sodium has a tough time getting through the small intestine on its own.

A little glucose

Glucose helps sodium get from the small intestine into the bloodstream through a mechanism called the sodium-glucose cotransport system. While some electrolyte products boast about being sugar-free, without glucose, this natural system simply doesn't work. Instead of adding unnecessary sugar, we include just enough glucose to keep this molecular team running smoothly.

Low osmolarity

To be effective, an ORS needs a high concentration of sodium electrolytes and a precise amount of glucose. That’s part of what makes rapid fluid absorption and retention possible. But the more particles in a solution (i.e., higher osmolarity) the slower the absorption. DripDrop uniquely balances these factors for optimal efficacy and speed. Translation: it works, and it works fast.

Unmatchable flavor

It's not easy to make a rehydration solution that works this well taste this good. To improve flavor, many other products skimp on sodium electrolytes and amp up sugar—which greatly diminishes their effectiveness against dehydration. DripDrop works for your body and your tastebuds - a difference rooted in science. It's a powerhouse against dehydration that checks all the boxes.

Used By

Why ORS matters

Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) are a simple, proven technology that saves lives, time and resources.

Dehydration from diarrhea is the #2 cause of death globally for children under 5.

ORS has helped reduce the number of diarrhea-related deaths in the last decade by 54%, or an average of 2 million lives per year.

ORS success & barriers articles

Oral rehydration therapy outperforms sports drinks and water

EFFICACY OF INGESTING AN ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION AFTER EXERCISE ON FLUID BALANCE AND ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE [2020]

The ingestion of DripDrop resulted in lower cumulative urine output and a higher fluid retention than Sports Drinks and Water after the endurance exercise in a hot and humid environment. Thus, for individuals who exercised in the heat and who performed multiple exercise sessions each day, DripDrop represented a potential rehydration beverage that they could turn to help maintain better fluid balance.

Under certain circumstances, oral rehydration therapy is safer and more efficacious than IV therapy

INTRAVENOUS VERSUS ORAL REHYDRATION: PHYSIOLOGICAL, PERFORMANCE, AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE [2008]

The evidence indicates that when equal volumes of the same concentration of fluid are used for rehydration intravenously or orally, no performance or physiological advantage exists to justify the use of IV rehydration. IV treatment is invasive, requires trained medical staff, must be given off the field, and increases risk of infection and bruising. Thus, an oral rehydration protocol is usually a more efficacious and safe hydration approach.

Oral rehydration therapy can be as effective as an IV

ORAL REHYDRATION VERSUS INTRAVENOUS THERAPY FOR TREATING DEHYDRATION DUE TO GASTROENTERITIS IN CHILDREN: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS BMC MEDICINE [2004]

There were no clinically important differences between ORT and IVT in terms of efficacy and safety. For every 25 children (95% CI: 20, 50) treated with ORT, one would fail and require IVT. The results support existing practice guidelines recommending ORT as the first course of treatment in appropriate children with dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis.

Oral rehydration therapy outperformed IV therapy in the pediatric emergency setting

A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF ORAL VS INTRAVENOUS REHYDRATION IN A PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ARCH PEDIATR ADOLESC MED. [2002]

Reported barriers to ORT were not supported by our data. Moreover, ORT performed better than intravenous therapy on all measured outcomes

ORS palatability studies

Taste matters in treatment outcomes

PRESCRIBING FOR CHILDREN – TASTE AND PALATABILITY AFFECT ADHERENCE TO ANTIBIOTICS: A REVIEW ARCHIVES OF DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD [2011]

Palatability is important in the broader context of global child health as regards the successful treatment of malaria, HIV and dehydration. The hidden cost of poor adherence resulting treatment failure, complications and the development of drug resistance cannot be overemphasized. Prescribing should involve parents, children and practitioners in an open discussion around the most suitable, palatable formulations for successful treatment outcomes.

There’s a science to flavor

THE EFFECT OF FLAVORING ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION ON ITS COMPOSITION AND PALATABILITY JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY & NUTRITION [2004]

Only very small amounts of apple juice or orange juice can be added to the ORS without significantly altering electrolyte composition and osmolality. Palatability, however, does not improve compared with commercially flavored ORS. We therefore recommend using commercially flavored ORS, the composition of which fulfills ESPGAN criteria.

It is not easy to improve ORS taste without sacrificing efficacy

IMPROVING THE PALATABILITY OF ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTIONS HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR SALT AND WATER TRANSPORT: A STUDY IN ANIMAL MODELS JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY & NUTRITION [1996]

While it appears that increasing the sucrose and citrate content of ORSs improves palatability, our results in these models suggest that such modifications would incur a significant penalty in terms of salt and water absorption. One cannot, however, extrapolate from these animal models to humans; however, concern about reducing chloride concentrations in ORS has been raised previously (22), and our study supports the view that there is a need for caution before attempting to improve ORS taste by altering composition. Water absorption was greater in Glucose-ORS than Sucrose/citrate-ORS. Glucose absorption was similar from all ORSs. Chloride-free Suc/citrate-ORS induced less water absorption than Glu-ORS.

DripDrop ORS is a citrate-based ORS, which has proven to be more effective than its alternatives

REHYDRATION AND MAINTENANCE THERAPY OF CHOLERA PATIENTS IN JAKARTA: CITRATE-BASED VERSUS BICARBONATE-BASED ORAL REHYDRATION SALT SOLUTION JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES [1985]

The results indicate that CBORS (citrate-based ORS) was superior to BBORS (bicarbonate-based ORS) for rehydration and maintenance therapy of hospitalized cholera patients in Jakarta.

(Photo of Dr. Crane's sketch used with permission granted by the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/deed.en). Source: Frontiers in Physiology website (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2013.00053/full)

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