<small>Go back to Blog catalogue: [[Blog - Home]]</small> -------------- #### WHO Formulation ![[WHO ORS.png]] ([https://www.ghsupplychain.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/MNCH Commodities-OralRehydration.pdf](https://www.ghsupplychain.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/MNCH%20Commodities-OralRehydration.pdf)) Doesn't taste sweet at all (nor does it taste salty). Just tastes like thicker water. It has 75 mmol/L of sodium, meaning ≈1.72 g/L of sodium. #### Why Glucose? "_The gastrointestinal tract relies on sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs), which are carrier proteins in the intestinal cells. Cotransporters help move substances across membranes. Specifically, SGLTs pair together sodium and glucose transport in the small intestine. This allows glucose to increase the absorption of fluids. Additionally, sodium needs glucose in order to be properly absorbed. This is why ORS contains both glucose and sodium."_ [healthline.com - How Oral Solutions Help to Manage Dehydration](https://www.healthline.com/health/oral-rehydration-solution#ors-for-rehydration) "_glucose facilitates the absorption of sodium (and hence water) on a 1:1 molar basis in the small intestine_" [WHO Oral rehydration salts, 2006](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1) _"Specifically for oral rehydration salts, they have a very specific osmolality, so the concentration of sodium and glucose is really specific. So if you overdilute them, they won't be absorbed correctly."_ Dr. Amanda Miller [Dysautonomia International Webinar 2022, Dr. Amanda Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzxuiF9naqM&list=PLN9-2-rvxt7OEhQVjBOndedhcKEpCJGzF&index=88&ab_channel=DysautonomiaInternational))