Glucose water is simply glucose (or dextrose) powder dissolved in clean water. The basic ratio depends on what you’re using it for: treating low blood sugar, rehydrating after illness, or fueling athletic performance. Here’s how to make it safely for each purpose.
Basic Glucose Water Recipe
For a simple glucose drink, dissolve 15 grams of glucose powder (about 1 tablespoon) in 8 ounces (1 cup) of water. Stir until the powder fully dissolves. That’s it.
Glucose powder dissolves easily at room temperature, so you don’t need to boil the water. At room temperature, water can dissolve more than its own weight in glucose. Warm water speeds up dissolving if you’re in a hurry, but it’s not necessary. Use clean drinking water, whether filtered, bottled, or tap.
You can find glucose powder (often labeled “dextrose”) at pharmacies, grocery stores in the baking aisle, or online. It’s inexpensive and widely available.
If You Don’t Have Glucose Powder
Table sugar (sucrose) works as a substitute, but your body handles it differently. Pure glucose enters your bloodstream quickly, typically within two hours. Table sugar is half glucose and half fructose. The glucose half absorbs rapidly, but fructose takes a slower, separate path that can take up to four hours. So if speed matters, such as when treating low blood sugar, pure glucose is the better choice.
If table sugar is all you have, use the same amount: about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) in a cup of water. It will still raise your blood sugar, just not quite as fast as pure glucose would.
Glucose Water for Low Blood Sugar
The standard approach to treating mild low blood sugar (below 70 mg/dL) is the 15-15 rule: consume 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, wait 15 minutes, then recheck your blood sugar. If it’s still low, repeat. A single cup of glucose water made with 15 grams of glucose powder delivers exactly this amount.
Keep the concentration at 15 grams per serving. Drinking a much stronger solution won’t help you recover faster and may cause nausea. The goal is a controlled, quick rise back to your target range, not a spike.
Glucose Water for Rehydration
When you’re dehydrated from vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating, plain water alone isn’t ideal because your body also needs electrolytes. A homemade oral rehydration solution based on the World Health Organization formula adds salt alongside sugar to replace what you’ve lost:
- 4 cups of water (1 liter)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (glucose or table sugar)
- ½ teaspoon of table salt
Stir until everything dissolves completely. Sip it steadily rather than gulping it down. The sugar in this recipe isn’t just for energy. Glucose pulls sodium and water through the intestinal wall faster, which is why adding it to a salt solution dramatically improves rehydration compared to water alone. The ratio matters here: too much sugar can actually worsen diarrhea by drawing water into the gut, so measure carefully.
For Sports and Energy
Athletes often use glucose drinks during prolonged exercise to maintain energy. A typical sports concentration is 30 to 60 grams of glucose per liter of water (about 2 to 4 tablespoons per liter), sipped throughout activity. Starting at the lower end helps you gauge how your stomach handles it. Higher concentrations can cause cramping or bloating during exercise.
You can add a pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon per liter) to replace sodium lost through sweat. A squeeze of lemon or lime makes it more palatable without significantly changing the nutritional profile.
A Note on Infants and Young Children
Children under 24 months should not have added sugars, including glucose water. Their diets need to be nutrient-dense, and sugary liquids take up space that breast milk, formula, or nutrient-rich foods should fill. For babies under 12 months, the only appropriate liquids are breast milk, formula, and (after 6 months) small amounts of plain water. If you’re concerned about a young child’s blood sugar or hydration, that’s a situation for a pediatrician, not a homemade solution.
Storage and Shelf Life
Glucose water has no preservatives, so bacteria can grow in it at room temperature. Make only what you plan to use right away. If you need to store it, refrigerate the solution and use it within 24 hours. Glucose powder itself, kept dry and sealed, lasts indefinitely.