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How do glucose and salts in oral rehydration solution help the intestine absorb water?
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cholera
A woman with cholera being treated by nurses at St. Nicholas Hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti, 2010.
In the context of treating cholera and other forms of diarrhea, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a highly effective method for reversing dehydration.
The mechanism relies on the synergistic relationship between glucose and salts within the intestine:
- Glucose and Salt Absorption: The presence of sugar or glucose in the solution makes the absorption of salt into the intestinal lining significantly more efficient.
- Water Absorption: Once the salt is absorbed into the intestinal walls, it creates an osmotic gradient that promotes the absorption of water from the intestinal lumen into the body.
By facilitating this process, ORT allows the body to replenish essential fluids and electrolytes even while the patient is still experiencing diarrhea, which has been instrumental in drastically reducing mortality rates worldwide.1