Green Tea count as Water?!?

jsstein19

Ok, so had always lost the argument that drinking Diet Soda counts as part of my 8 glasses a day. I have since freed myself of the soda obsession and have started drinking Iced Green Tea brewed by myself. Checking this topic online has given me both sides. Anyone have any concrete info to support one way or the other?

No side says tea is a diuretic
Yes side says as long as it's fluid it doesn't matter.

Thoughts?!?

EZGruv

I count green tea as water.

Qarol

Depends on if all you're looking for is hydration. Any beverage can help with that. But to get the benefits of plain water, you have to drink plain water. And lots of it. You can still drink tea. But no, it doesn't count toward your water goals.

poseyj88

In my opinion, green tea is not water, and therefore does not count as water. If it has caffeine in it, it is a diuretic and can counteract water.

It is, however, better (again, in my opinion) than drinking diet soda or juice, etc.

It's not bad, but not as good as water. I think it can supplement your water intake, but should not replace your water intake.

HeelsAndBoxingGloves

I would count it as water (as long as your brewing it yourself) since it really is basically flavored water. I use the crystal light flavors to help me drink more water and count them as water and then add the calories seperately

TheBraveryLover

Not for me. I don't even count plain carbonated water as water.

ChantalGG

If it is all i am drinking then i count it. I sometimes brew up some green tea and then throw it in a jug with lemon slices and chill it and i will drink it all day long and instead of water. So I count it on those days.

atomdraco

If only if it's decaf green tea

legmotor

Imho, tea is not water and therefore doesn't count toward the water goal. I love iced tea, but I know I can't count that as water, but I do log it. The crazy thing is that in the past 2 weeks I have drank tea, I haven't lost any real weight.... so you decide what is best for you.

jsstein19

I can understand if the argument comes from the caffeine standpoint I guess.

But if it's water and a wedge of lemon.... or water and crystal light.... is that REALLY any different?

aippolito1

If it has any kind of nutritional value to it (green tea usually has sugar or sodium in it), then no. I count water as water and everything else, I log. Simple as that.

tomomatic

My opinion: If it comes from powder or is already bottled, than this is soda. (Like lipton brisk, which comes in a bottle and used to come in powder).

If you brew it yourself from tea leaves, than this should count as water.

I'm also not a fan of decaf since making something decaf is a pretty unnatural process.

jaybee25

I count it as water if you can count water with lemon or orange squeeze in it as fluid the green tea counts as well

tomomatic

If it is all i am drinking then i count it. I sometimes brew up some green tea and then throw it in a jug with lemon slices and chill it and i will drink it all day long and instead of water. So I count it on those days.

This is probably the handiest idea that I've read all day. Water has been getting really boring for me. I'm gonna do this when I get home.

olo567

Green tea can be counted as water. The diuretic effect of caffeine is extremely small for the amount present in tea. I would say don't drink 8+ cups of green tea as your water, but you can count it in your total.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5281046.stm

rdmchugh

I buy organic loose leaf green tea and brew my own. 2 TBSP in a gallon jar filled with filtered water and set in the sun for 3-4 hours (until it looks like tea). Pour it through a sieve to remove the tea leaves. I find that dried mint leaves mixed in with the green tea really helps with those unhappy tummy days. Or 3 bags of Tazo Zen tea in the gallon jar instead.

Would that have enough caffeine to be a problem? Would that count as water?