Ginger ale contains almost no electrolytes. A standard 12-ounce can has roughly 26 mg of sodium and less than 4 mg of potassium, which is negligible compared to what your body needs during illness or exercise. For context, oral rehydration solutions recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics contain sodium concentrations dozens of times higher than what you’d find in a can of ginger ale.
What’s Actually in a Can of Ginger Ale
The two electrolytes present in ginger ale, sodium and potassium, are there in trace amounts. A 12-ounce can of ginger ale provides about 25.6 mg of sodium and 3.7 mg of potassium, according to nutritional data from the University of Rochester Medical Center. To put that in perspective, a single banana has about 420 mg of potassium, and a proper oral rehydration solution contains roughly 50 to 90 times more sodium per liter than ginger ale does.
What ginger ale does contain in significant amounts is sugar. A typical can packs 32 to 36 grams of it. That sugar content isn’t just unhelpful for rehydration; it can actively work against you.
Why Sugar-Heavy Drinks Can Make Dehydration Worse
High-sugar beverages like soda slow gastric emptying and pull fluid into your gut rather than letting your intestines absorb it into your bloodstream. Research published in the American Journal of Physiology found that soft drinks cause urinary concentration and volume contraction, meaning your body actually loses effective fluid volume after drinking them. The sugar creates an osmotic effect in the intestines that can trigger or worsen diarrhea, which is the opposite of what you want when you’re already losing fluids.
The CDC specifically lists soft drinks among foods to avoid during acute diarrhea, noting that these “clear fluids” can cause osmotic diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance. They contain too much sugar and too little sodium to replace what the body loses through vomiting or diarrhea.
The Stomach Flu Myth
Ginger ale has a long reputation as a go-to drink when you’re nauseous, but that reputation doesn’t hold up well. Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologists point out that most commercial ginger ale doesn’t contain enough real ginger to settle your stomach any better than other clear liquids. Many popular brands, including Vernors, contain no actual ginger at all, relying entirely on natural or artificial flavoring. The carbonation, meanwhile, can make bloating, gas, and indigestion worse during a stomach illness.
A handful of specialty brands like Bruce Cost and Q Mixers do use real ginger as an ingredient. Bruce Cost even has visible ginger sediment in the bottle. But even these brands still deliver their ginger alongside a heavy dose of sugar, so they’re not solving the rehydration problem.
Better Options for Replacing Electrolytes
If you’re dehydrated from illness, exercise, or heat exposure, you need a drink that provides sodium, potassium, and a small amount of glucose in the right proportions. Oral rehydration solutions (sold as Pedialyte or store-brand equivalents) are formulated to match what your body loses. Sports drinks like Gatorade sit somewhere in between: more electrolytes than ginger ale but more sugar than an oral rehydration solution.
If you want the ginger flavor with actual electrolyte content, a homemade switchel is a traditional option. This drink combines fresh ginger simmered in water with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a small amount of maple syrup. A serving of switchel provides roughly 279 mg of potassium, about 75 times what you’d get from ginger ale. You can also add a pinch of salt to boost sodium content.
Coconut water is another alternative worth considering. It’s naturally rich in potassium and contains moderate sodium, making it a reasonable option for mild dehydration without the sugar load of soda. Broth or bouillon provides sodium and is easy on the stomach during illness.
When Ginger Ale Is Fine
If you enjoy ginger ale and you’re not relying on it to rehydrate, there’s nothing wrong with drinking it. The problem starts when people treat it as a functional recovery drink during illness. Sipping small amounts of flat ginger ale (letting the carbonation dissipate first) alongside proper rehydration fluids is unlikely to cause harm. But on its own, it simply doesn’t deliver the electrolytes your body needs to recover fluid balance.