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

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  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Diuretic Effect

    Caffeine appears to have a diuretic effect only when consumed in excess. An excessive amount is more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or the equivalent of between four and seven cups of coffee daily, according to MayoClinic.com.

    Moderation

    In moderation, caffeine is as strong a diuretic as water. Various investigations comparing caffeine with water or a placebo seldom noted an increase in urine volume, according to an "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" June 2002 review of 10 previous studies led by scientists at the University of Connecticut.

    Common Dehydration Causes

    Although caffeine does not appear to dehydrate, other things can. Vomiting and diarrhea, such as that occurring with a stomach bug, can deplete your water reserves, as can diet supplements like laxatives or diuretics that promise to help you shed "water weight." It is important to be aware of dehydration signs and take precautions
  • justwanderful
    justwanderful Posts: 142 Member
    Why would anyone want to cut their coffee intake while trying to lose weight?
    It tastes great. The caffeine in coffee provides a boost. It helps curb my appetite.
    And if it's a diuretic, terrific. That's an added bonus.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    That's funny, we use caffeine to deplete for bodybuilding competitions. Why? Because it helps dehydrate the body.

    isn't that caffeine tablets though, rather than the caffeinated drinks of the OP ?

    Some do. I didn't. Coffee and energy drinks.
  • ILuvMoo
    ILuvMoo Posts: 41
    I love love love coffee... but I can't have caffeine (sleep disorder... caffeine makes it angry) so I drink decaf :)

    Also, coffee's full of antioxidants. That has to count for something, right? Even if it did dehydrate you a bit (I agree that it doesn't), who cares? You're getting fluids elsewhere too, and even the coffee itself isn't a total wash in that department.


    Edit: caffeine makes my sleep disorder angry. I just realized my original post said "coffee makes it angry." Big difference :drinker:
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    Agreed.

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  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    I never listened or believed it. I have my coffee every morning before my workout. I also don't eat before my workout. Makes me sick. To each their own but no, caffeine in a normal intake amount will not dehydrate you.
  • laylaness
    laylaness Posts: 262 Member
    From the Mayo clinic.

    ... 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.

    I have at least 500-600mg of caffeine a day, easy. So it's not a myth for me.

    By the way, a "cup" of coffee is only considered to be 6oz. A grande size at Starbucks is 16oz.
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
    I'll still stay away from it except my morning cup. In large quantities it can cause heart problems. I was drinking several pots a day at work, along with my Starbucks Mocha's. It caused an irregular heart beat and contributed to my high blood pressure. I do still drink 2 cups in the morning ( I was drinking 1 cup until I switched to 1/2 caff) It's got a good amount of potassium and gets me going in the morning.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    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.

    I think it's worth it. Most people have heard and believed so many diet myths by the time they reach MFP. Hopefully, by reading the forums, and then doing their own research, they will learn over time that they are just myths!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I still think caffiene dehydrates you. Mayo was paid by the soda industry to post that.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Wow some people could start an argument in a phone box (if there are any left)
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    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).

    Too funny, Kiki I have in the past consumed moderate amounts of caffeine and have had to listen to loads of people telling me it is dehydrating. But, I have never ever had any tech/nurse find a vein. The one time I was dehydrated was the time we had a 2 week heat wave and I was working in a warehouse TMI alert, every night my work clothes were soaked in sweat. It was pretty awful. I let one pair of pants dry and they were stiff with salt, so that is how bad that was. Any who I got rather ill from that, but it wasn't because I was drinking soda, that might be why I didn't drop from heat exhaustion the first day of the heat wave. I think my weight was more of the problem than having some caffeine.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    So it's not a myth but instead research quantifies the amount needed to obtain the diuretic effect.

    QFT
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Why would you believe anything from a mayonnaise clinic?

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