Health. “Pure and simple marketing”: these lozenges that exploit the myths surrounding hydration

For hot days, after a night of heavy drinking, or even to relieve headaches: effervescent tablets promise to "boost" and "optimize" our hydration, but in reality, according to professionals, they are of no benefit.

"My secret to going out every night without being tired: Hydratis, a lozenge that will hydrate your body," says a TikTok user in a video viewed more than 150,000 times. This supposed "cure" for the day after a night out is also useful for hot days , according to many pharmacists who promote it on social media.

“Food already provides about a liter of water.”

Conveniently positioned next to the checkout in pharmacies or plastered throughout the corridors of the Paris metro, hydration tablets – led by the Hydratis brand, but also Waterdrop and Lxir – are a must-have this summer. Dissolved in a glass of water, these tablets – a mixture of sugar, salt, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and zinc – claim to provide "better hydration" and prevent the risk of dehydration . The selling point is that the French are not drinking enough water.

While the French National Agency for Food Safety (ANSES) recommends drinking between 1.5 and 2 liters of water per day, 78% of French people do not meet this recommendation, according to an Ifop survey conducted last June for the Hydratis brand. But this recommendation is only a guideline and does not mean that three-quarters of people are dehydrated, emphasizes dietician Violette Babocsay.

"Food already provides about 1 liter of water because many products contain it: fruits and vegetables are 80 to 90% water, red meat is 60 to 70% water," she explains. Depending on the brand, their tablets also help compensate for the loss of electrolytes through perspiration, which is more abundant in athletes or on hot days. However, "it's not after 30 minutes of exercise that we need electrolytes," Violette Babocsay adds.

"This can be useful for marathon runners who run for four hours and can't eat, but a normal person gets electrolytes from their diet," she explains. "Even for workers exposed to heat — who will sweat several liters of water — the general idea remains that this is not necessary," adds Basile Chaix, research director at Inserm. In any case, to stay hydrated, nothing beats a glass of water, insist the professionals.

"False beliefs"

For Arnaud Cocaul, a nutritionist, these lozenges are therefore "of no interest," and their promises are "pure and simple marketing." And with their playful appearance, he fears that these products will detract from the fundamental principles. Kiwi, peach, or wild berry flavors: "By getting into the habit of adding flavors, people no longer know how to drink water, and that's a problem," the doctor points out.

For her part, Violette Babocsay protests against the idea of adding sugar and salt to water "when people already consume too much of it, it makes no sense." The young woman, who tackles nutritional misinformation on her Instagram account @violette.diet, also denounces "the false beliefs" that these brands exploit.