Do Cups of Tea and Coffee count towards 8 Cups a Day ???

BrewerGeorge

Good Lord! How does this keep coming up?

The only thing that doesn't count is hard alcohol. Coffee, tea, even beer and wine have way more than enough water in the beverage to make up for the small diuretic affect of the caffeine or alcohol.

appleseeds

My mum used to be on weight watchers - on their program you are allowed to count ONE cup of coffee as water - but if you drink more than that you cant add them into your count.

I think this is basically good advice.

Now I am also remembering that other diet programs might have that same advice, like some of those low-cal shake diets you can do with the same rule.

PS. The amount of caffeine in tea will never dehydrate you because it is so minimal in comparison to the amount of water you are also drinking.

I don know the facts about coffee, but Iḿ positive an article I read about tea was that in order to actually dehydrate you you would need to drink 35 cups of tea in a day. (or some ridiculous number like that)

HonkyTonks

I've read that herbal teas are fine to count as water. Don't know about coffee or anything else!

HMonsterX

Here we go again!

You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


As for coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
adj.
Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
n.
A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo

jk_proonps3

Here we go again!

You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

Thank You !

jk_proonps3

Today i swapped Tea for Coffee and didnt drink as much Water as usual and after running i still feel alot better than before

While i havent drank as much water as yesterday i feel alot better havent drank tea instead

elmsallmissile

if it contains water it adds to your hydration status even the demonised coffee, the diuretic effect is miniscule, your body takes fluid from all available intake sources, a steak for instance is 70 -80 % water! Your body does not care!