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The first question you should be asking is whether the title is true, did Lucozade in fact save my life? Obviously not but I think the vast majority of brits my age will understand where I’m coming from. The past few days have seen me feeling really crap, a pounding headache, heaving and the squits. It hasn’t been pleasant and often, left me thinking about old times. It also occurred to me: should I buy a bottle of this magic ‘medicine’?
Designed as an early energy drink, it only ever came through our doors at home when one of us was sick. Always original flavour, never orange – the glass bottle would be placed next to us for ‘when we were ready’. It might not have been the flavour we would buy ourselves but it was always greatly received.
When I was poorly, it was Mum who looked after me. The late nights of puking, fevered ramblings or unfortunate bowel events, Mum was there. Don’t assume this is because Dad didn’t care, that isn’t true in the slightest. He would hate us being ill and would feel awful as he couldn’t do anything to help. We just wanted Mum so she always took the brunt of the sick.
Why Lucozade
If you speak to anyone who was born pre-00s, you’d be hard pushed to find someone who wouldn’t tell you it was good for replacing fluids after being sick or having the runs. There was good reason for this too, if you look at early advertising this is exactly what they wanted.
This was ingrained in everybody’s brain, even in to the 90s. I would bet there are still people out there now who believe this to be the case.
You’ll only know this from experience but, there is nothing better than the feeling a cold gulp of Lucozade after days of being poorly and not eating or drinking. It wasn’t potent in flavour and the carbonation felt just right, it slipped down nicely every time. Being full of Glucose obviously helped and it would absolutely peak you up for a little bit.
Like anything positive though, you had to watch out for the negative. Feeling ready for Lucozade and being actually ready was a fine tightrope to walk. Quaffing a glass to early and the explosive, orange foamed up chuck wasn’t pleasant.
It’s just not the same
Thanks to the sugar tax applied to UK drinks, Lucozade isn’t the same as it once was. No longer can it be kept in case of Diabetic emergency and even advertises that it isn’t a ‘fix’. I can understand the company wanting to distance itself from the ‘give this when sick’, it isn’t a medicine after all. But, removing the part of the drink that made it good? Such a terrible shame.
Oh go on, some more memories of Lucozade
Before things changed to a sugar reduced norm, Lucozade had a huge number of products. Who here doesn’t remember at least one kid having this pencil case at school?
Then how about having a pack of these bad boys in your pocket? Eaten in one session and complaining of a raging headache an hour later. Ah sugar, you bastard.
Going back to Lucozade Sport for the moment. Does anyone else remember the awesome foil pouches they released? Think super sized Capri Sun without the shitty straw!
Finally, let’s not forget that the 90s started the trend for new flavours.
Indeed. Not so good now for diabetics having low-sugar hypos, because there’s so little glucose in the product now. But it still does the job, we just have to plod through loads more of it.
Thanks for the comment! It’s ridiculous that we ended up in a position that grown adults can’t choose to have a sugar filled beverage or not.