Does iced tea = water?

ASPhantom

I say, if you drink anything other than plain water, you track it in your diary.

HMonsterX

I say, if you drink anything other than plain water, you track it in your diary.

We dont need WATER. we need FLUID!

Sigh....

lexximan

I count my iced teas as water.

First off diet anything is gross. =]
And pop has way too many chemicals to be counted as water... ew.

fteale

If I only logged water as water I'd die of water toxicity.

And if tea dehydrated you, I'd be a desiccated corpse.

fteale

As long as there isn't much caffeine, you are fine counting it.

Drinks with high caffeine like Coke and black tea and coffee cause you to pee more than you gain in water... so don't count those.

But green tea or herbal teas have negligible amounts of caffeine usually, so I count them.

Oh, don't count booze for the same reason.

Very good answer, and I follow this too.

Green tea has more caffeine than normal black tea.

And herbal tea has no caffeine at all, if it's a caffeine free herb.

ATT949

Nice to see you quoting the good Doctor.

Here's a link to another of his papers:

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

marcibar

For me personally only water is water, but it's really the only thing I drink. Once in a while I drink OJ and maybe once a month a beer. But I love water.

ninjapleaz

It's an old wives tale that iced tea doesn't count as water. As a matter of fact, anything with water in it counts as water. Back in the old ages, NOBODY drank water, they drank mostly beer and wines and noone ever dehydrated after only drinking those. Why? Because there is water in them! Iced tea has a miniscule amount of cafeine in it to dehydrate you. How many people per day check into the emergency ward at a hospital because all they've been drinking is beer, Coke, coffee, and tea? Seriously, it's an ignorant myth that needs to end.

civilwartamarin

Aside from the scientific evidence provided demonstrating that tea hydrates a person about the same as water, you can also think of it this way. If you drink 72oz of water, you can report that you've consumed 9 cups of said liquid, correct? Okay, we've consumed 9 cups of water. Now I want something to chew on for 3-5 minutes. I choose to chew on 6-8 tea bags. The tea bags do not own a Delorean, thus the 9 cups of water remain consumed and remain counted. I suggest reporting the tea bag itself as a snack, such as gum (j/k):) So you're in the clear to report the tea as water. Even if the order of events listed above is rearranged slightly. Plus, as has been touched upon elsewhere, the British exist.

ElizabethRoad

I don't see the point of tracking water. Drink when you're thirsty.

LaurySch

:drinker:

The caffeine in tea may dehydrate you a little, but I think I would still count some of the tea in your daily water intake (maybe 50-75% of it).

A lot of people overestimate the dehydrating power of caffeine, and blow it way out of proportion. Caffeine is not that strong of a diuretic. If you drink 8 cups of water, on top of beverages like tea and coffee and the water content of the food you eat, you're probably getting more water than you actually NEED.

I know a lot of people will disagree, but extra water just gets filtered through your kidneys and urinated out without really benefiting you in any measurable way. I bet there are many who drink way more than they need. Just my opinion! :-)

OMG, did not think that anyone else shared my opinion on this! I get a lot of flack at work cause everyone is on a health kick (it's a medical clinic, it makes sense!) and I argue with everyone including the dietitians that my 2 cups of black coffee a day count towards my 'liquid' intake! I don't drink juices, milk or pop/soda regularly - only water for the rest of the day. I'd say as long as you are drinking at least as much (or more) water as tea or coffee than you're good

kimad

:drinker:

The caffeine in tea may dehydrate you a little, but I think I would still count some of the tea in your daily water intake (maybe 50-75% of it).

A lot of people overestimate the dehydrating power of caffeine, and blow it way out of proportion. Caffeine is not that strong of a diuretic. If you drink 8 cups of water, on top of beverages like tea and coffee and the water content of the food you eat, you're probably getting more water than you actually NEED.

I know a lot of people will disagree, but extra water just gets filtered through your kidneys and urinated out without really benefiting you in any measurable way. I bet there are many who drink way more than they need. Just my opinion! :-)

OMG, did not think that anyone else shared my opinion on this! I get a lot of flack at work cause everyone is on a health kick (it's a medical clinic, it makes sense!) and I argue with everyone including the dietitians that my 2 cups of black coffee a day count towards my 'liquid' intake! I don't drink juices, milk or pop/soda regularly - only water for the rest of the day. I'd say as long as you are drinking at least as much (or more) water as tea or coffee than you're good

Was it really flack?? haha or more an agree to disagree

lolly2721

Ahhh, a fellow iced tea lover! I will choose and iced tea over any other liquid any day of the week As for fluid/water intake, I personally drink 6-8 8 oz glasses of water a day and then tea before, during and after that. I carry water or tea with me wherever I go. I say, drink what you want as long as there are no empty calories and it is not detrimental to you. As long as your urine isn't bright yellow with a strong odor, then you should be ok in the fluid intake area (at least that is what my doc told me).

emnk5308

I personally wouldn't count it.. but I mean it is made with water =p I would never count a diet soda as water! Light tea, green tea.. you pour a cup of water, and steep the tea... so yeah.. Water Just make sure you do get some plain water in there too.. because tea does have caffeine.

fteale

I would count proper tea as water, but not sweetened iced tea. I don't count anything with sugar or salt in, so fruit juice and miso soup don't count either.

I don't actually drink fruit juice or iced tea so it's kind of a moot point. Most of my fluid intake is normal English Breakfast tea or peppermint tea.

fteale

Oh and tea doesn't dehydrate you or everyone in India and Britain would be desiccated corpses, and I assure you, we aren't.

ncthomas09

It's an old wives tale that iced tea doesn't count as water. As a matter of fact, anything with water in it counts as water. Back in the old ages, NOBODY drank water, they drank mostly beer and wines and noone ever dehydrated after only drinking those. Why? Because there is water in them! Iced tea has a miniscule amount of cafeine in it to dehydrate you. How many people per day check into the emergency ward at a hospital because all they've been drinking is beer, Coke, coffee, and tea? Seriously, it's an ignorant myth that needs to end.

Actually I'm an ekg tech for a hospital and I do the paper work for the one's that come through ER. I actually see a lot of people that check in for only drinking beer (sometimes liquor). But there's an underlying thing there....they're generally alcoholics so in this case they don't count!! (and they have more issues than dehydration) LOL just had to be a smart @$$ sorry

I log tea and coffee as water. I also flavor my water because it helps me drink more and log it as water. I don't log my sodas as water...can't tell you why because I don't know why I just don't log it that way. But here's the deal....if you are thirsty that is your body's way of telling you that you're dehydrated...so drink....water will typically rehydrate you quicker than sodas and things like that but it doesn't mean they can't do it either.

So as far as I'm concerned log it how you want just make sure you aren't thirsty!!! :drinker:

ASPhantom

I don't see where it says "Fluid consumption".
It clearly says "
Water Consumption
We recommend that you drink at least 8 cups of water a day. Click the arrows to add or subtract cups of water."

Count it as water, if it's water, otherwise log it.

I say, if you drink anything other than plain water, you track it in your diary.

We dont need WATER. we need FLUID!

Sigh....

troubl5005

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/healthy-beverages

tea counts as part of your water intake