Let's kill a myth: Caffeine will dehydrate you.

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brower47
brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
From the Mayo clinic.

Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

STOP promoting this myth. You aren't doing anyone any favors.
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  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Agreed.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Agreed!

    It's frustrating to see how so many argue that coffee dehydrates you. Same as when people say diet pop is filled with sodium.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I'l be impressed if you mange to kill a myth here, this place runs on them ;-)
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    I'l be impressed if you mange to kill a myth here, this place runs on them ;-)

    I know. I let my aggravation levels get too high and this thread is a result. If it reaches only one person, is it worth it? Probably not. Oh well.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
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    So it's not a myth but instead research quantifies the amount needed to obtain the diuretic effect.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
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    I'l be impressed if you mange to kill a myth here, this place runs on them ;-)

    I disagree. MFP isn't some nameless faceless entity. It is made up of people and we are part of what makes up that community. People post facts and opinions and as always it is up to each and every one of us to discern the fact from the opinion.

    I have seen a lot of top quality well thought out and even referenced stuff on MFP it normally gets bumped a few times and then it eventually falls down on the list because there really isn't must disagreement. I have also seen wishful thinking and fantasy stated as fact and there are normally people ready to challenge it and then the defenders come out of the woodwork and as a result of the debate these threads get a lot of longevity and they stay high on the list for a long time.

    There are myths on the MFP forums but it has always been our responsibility to evaluate all claims and see how they stack up to the evidence.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    So it's not a myth but instead research quantifies the amount needed to obtain the diuretic effect.
    ^^ This
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    From the Mayo clinic.

    Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    STOP promoting this myth. You aren't doing anyone any favors.

    it's still valid you aren't considering how many people drink espresso style cofee. in fact i dont know anyone who drinks the watered down versions anymore

    average amount of caffeine in starbucks coffee grande coffee - 330 mg
    . i know plenty of people who drink 2 cups of starbucks a day
  • iwillbetinytea
    iwillbetinytea Posts: 264 Member
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    I am so glad you said that, although it means it DOES have a diuretic effect on me cos I drink LOOOADS of tea!
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    And lets not forget that EVEN if you do consume enough caffeine in order to have it have a diruetic effect, MOST people are consuming their caffeine in LIQUID form so they're still consuming far more liquid than the caffeine would help deplete from them so they're still receiving net hydration.. The only way for caffeine to actually dehydrate a person is if they were eating coffee grounds straight or taking caffeine pills... or maybe drinking something like arabic or cuban coffee which is has a HUGE caffeine content with hardly any water.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I know. I let my aggravation levels get too high and this thread is a result. If it reaches only one person, is it worth it? Probably not. Oh well.

    Always better to light a single candle than to shout at the darkness, as somebody famous probably said once.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I am so glad you said that, although it means it DOES have a diuretic effect on me cos I drink LOOOADS of tea!

    the water in the tea is a diuretic too !
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    From the Mayo clinic.

    Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    STOP promoting this myth. You aren't doing anyone any favors.

    it's still valid you aren't considering how many people drink espresso style cofee. in fact i dont know anyone who drinks the watered down versions anymore

    average amount of caffeine in starbucks coffee grande coffee - 330 mg
    . i know plenty of people who drink 2 cups of starbucks a day

    No, it isn't valid. At that point it begins to have a diuretic effect but does not offset the hydration gained. Hence it is inefficient to hydrate this way, but it does work. Also, diuretics do not make it impossible to hydrate.
  • bwilenius1
    bwilenius1 Posts: 7
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    They need a "LIKE" button on here. I agree about the caffeine.
  • kikih64
    kikih64 Posts: 349 Member
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    Thanks for that info. I believed the myth. When I recently had blood drawn, the tech asked me if I'd had water yet and I said no, only coffee. She said that explained why she had trouble with my vein, that coffee dehydrates. I guess some medical folks haven't heard this either. (Of course, I have difficult veins anyway, so she may just have been looking for a reason). :smile:
  • fluffymcfluffster
    fluffymcfluffster Posts: 51 Member
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    I'l be impressed if you mange to kill a myth here, this place runs on them ;-)


    ^^ this! ...but thanks for sharing!
  • beelanc
    beelanc Posts: 71 Member
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    True story. :drinker:
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    That's funny, we use caffeine to deplete for bodybuilding competitions. Why? Because it helps dehydrate the body.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    From the Mayo clinic.

    Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    STOP promoting this myth. You aren't doing anyone any favors.

    it's still valid you aren't considering how many people drink espresso style cofee. in fact i dont know anyone who drinks the watered down versions anymore

    average amount of caffeine in starbucks coffee grande coffee - 330 mg
    . i know plenty of people who drink 2 cups of starbucks a day

    No, it isn't valid. At that point it begins to have a diuretic effect but does not offset the hydration gained. Hence it is inefficient to hydrate this way, but it does work. Also, diuretics do not make it impossible to hydrate.

    but according to the OP own words :
    Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.
    it is valid because a person can easily get well over 600 milligrams without drinking 7 cups. i was just at a coffee shop today to get iced tea and 2 people in forint of me ordered drinks with extra shots of espresso.
    it's really not that hard to get 600 mg of caffeine

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