Pedialyte: An Effective Antidote For 'Common' Hangovers

It seems that the manufacturer of the popular oral electrolyte for children, Pedialyte, has started to target a new customer base. Pedialyte, once marketed as a children's medicine for diarrhea, is now being marketed as an antidote to hangovers in adults.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Pedialyte consumption by adults has increased by 60 percent since 2013. That is, nearly one-third of Pedialyte sales are generated by adult consumers. This has made the oral electrolyte a direct competitor to Gatorade, a PepsiCo Inc. product. The statistics were recently revealed by Heather Mason, an executive vice president at Abbott Laboratories.

Pedialyte claims on its website that it “helps prevent dehydration and replace nutrients and electrolytes lost through vomiting and diarrhea.” However, now the product -- owned by Similac formula parent Abbott Laboratories -- is being marketed as a solution to the aftereffects of heavy drinking in adults. The marketing efforts came to light after tweets appeared on the company's Twitter account.

In an interview with MarketWatch, Mason further revealed that the company does not plan to change the company's target customer base from children to adults, nor does it intend to change Pedialyte's packaging and makeup. However, she confirmed that the company hopes to launch “adult-friendly' flavors in large powdered-stick packs for adults.

From Pharell Williams to Miley Cyrus, various celebrities have come forward -- directly or indirectly -- to confess to using Pedialyte. The product's formula makes it a low-sugar and high-electrolyte hydration drink with the capacity to cure the lingering effects of heavy drinking.

Charles Minnick, 28, told the New York Post how he and his circle of friends keep Pedialyte handy to treat hangovers. Minnick learned about the hydration effect of Pedialyte years ago at a bachelor party. A friend of the groom told the group about its anti-hangover effects. Since then, Minnick and his friends have been sharing the knowledge with everyone they know.

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