Water vs. Tea

casey1974

Question. Is sun brewed unsweetened tea an acceptable alternative to plain water? I can drink about 4 glasses of plain water a day but after that I get bored. I love sun tea and I add nothing to it. There is a little caffeine in it but other than that all nutrition facts are 0. Does this count?? I don't want to fool myself. Thanks

jsmjboertlein

Glad you asked. I've been wondering the same thing. I love unsweat decaf iced tea, so what's the difference?

krsaxton

I think it does.... but I don't really know for sure. When I was doing Weight Watchers, it did......

TamDTam

many say since tea is a diuretic that it is NOT counted towards water intake totals

Kathy11174

Very good question and to my understanding the only way to count it as water is if there is no caffeine in it. I use tea packets or crystal light packets to add in my water so that I do not get bored.

TamDTam

read this quote:

Tea absolutely does count as water consumption. Please read the following about caffeine and dehydration:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

The summary is: "caffeine only has a diuretic effect if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (or 4 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

sassyg

I look at it as, its better than nothing. Like, i know I just can't do the water here at work, it makes me feel like I'm gonna puke. So its either add a flavouring sachet to it (like your crystal light, with vitamins) or just not drink at all. So I do 'count' that. I don't count my tea at home, or juice or anything else, cos i know the water at home is good and I'm happy to drink it.

Heather75

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_tea_count_towards_your_daily_water_intake

abra526

WW always said that any NON caffinated and sugar free beverage could count towards half of your daily water intake.

arfdemob5

Aaah the water debate! LOL Some people say if you drink fluids that are not water then your kidneys have to work hard to strip out everything to get to the water...my personal belief is that fluids hydrate you. Period. Some do a better job....of course. I have started adding just ONE crystal light packet to 64 oz of water..and you know what...its a little sweet but not cloying and it gives me a break for boring water.

all that said...4 cups of water isn't enough per day..up it to 8 and then enjoy your tea!

rileymax07

I was wondering the same thing... I have always heard that "clear" water is the best for you. I found this while surfing:

"From a medical standpoint, the cells in our body need water in order to function properly. Most teas have caffeine, and caffeine acts as a diuretic, pushing our kidneys to excrete more water in our urine. That makes tea somewhat dehydrating. When our bodies are dehydrated, signals go to our brain that “tell” us to drink more water. Unfortunately, these signals are very similar to the hunger signals our brains also send us. Because of this, we often confuse the signals and eat instead of drink.

One study by the University of Washington found that one glass of water before bed prevented night-time hunger pains in almost 100% of the participants. Water functions as a natural appetite suppressant and also helps our bodies use up stored fat. It is recommended that all of us drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. If you are overweight, the recommendation is to drink eight additional ounces of water per day for each 25 pounds of excess weight a person carries. Water also prevents our bodies from retaining fluid. When our bodies are dehydrated, our organs send chemical signals that cause us to hold on to fluids in our tissues."

I find that the more water I drink... the more I want to drink. I do splurge a couple times a week with a nice glass of tea. Good luck!!!

fteale

That whole "tea dehydrates you" thing is a total myth. It doesn't. It is a liquid. It hydrates you. If it didn't, the millions of people who only drink tea and not water would be dead.

corrinnebrown

I say drink your 4 cups and add tea or crystal light if you can't drink the full 8.

TamDTam

One study by the University of Washington found that one glass of water before bed prevented night-time hunger pains in almost 100% of the participants. Water functions as a natural appetite suppressant and also helps our bodies use up stored fat.

Im a HUGE water drinker... and I ALWAYS have a glass or 3 at bedtime.... I usually fall asleep with a glass at my bedside and when I wake up to go to the bathroom at 2am I drink that glass as well

casey1974

wow! Thanks for all the feedback!! Luckily I have great water at work! I will definately switch to decaf for the tea. I guess any change from the diet soda I used to drink 4 times or more a day is good. Soooo much sodium! Hopefully with some patience and discipline I will get to the 8 glasses of clear water! I'm going to make a goal to try to add 1 glass of water a day to my plan. Thanks again!!