I think if you made a commercial that sold korans as magic books that guaranteed to improve your jump shot and send you to heaven when you die, people would beleive it.
Today, in Iraq I had picked up lunch for a local national that was doing work for us. He was a diabetic so I made his lunch special avoiding sugars, lots of breads, and giving him caffeine free diet soda. After his meal I saw him grab a Gatorade from the cooler to drink.
That’s when I got into an argument with the other American escourts about the power of American media vs. the true value of Gatorade. I argued that it was not good for him or us but we all think it is because of commercials. They disagreed beleiveing it hydrated you with electrolytes.
Even after explaining why this was false they still thought it was good for the guy.
Every living cell has a sodium potassium (electrolytes) ion exchange pump which regulates the water balance inside and outside cells. Water is attracted to particles (electrolytes) and sodium has a different charge than potassium, so as sodium and potassium will naturally balance out due to polarity water will follow and homeostasis occurs. (Hydration - given they have water.)
Thus you do not need gatorade for electrolytes. In fact gatorade has too much "electrolytes" and has a higher osmolar pull thus reducing the amount of water that goes into your body. Not to mention the sugar in it - put in it only to make it sell better. Sugar is a diuretic. (It makes you pee thus making you less hydrated.)
Plus, sweat is hypotonic. Contains less electrolytes than your blood has. Fluid loss is more of a problem usually than electroylte loss in hot days, especially for people who eat regular meals.
The drink was used on Florida Gators and was attributed to their win, but that was a different formula. Once there became a demand for it they pumped it full of sugar and mass marketed it as a sports drink.
Even after explaining all this, the other American soldiers still thought gatorade was good not only for them, but for the diabetic.
So, back to my question. Being that gatorade, like the supposid health benifits of cigarettes of yore, is unhealthy but beleived to be so because of advertising - how able are our minds to resist what society says around us even despite rational clearly laid out arguments against the statements the t.v. (society) holds as true?
This question relates to our election processes, government spin, and public health.
