Water/Tea confusion

fteale

You can only count it if it's decaf. If it's caffeinated it's the same as coffee and dehydrates your body. So you actually have to drink more water to compensate for it.

Not true.

JaycrazyRose

Wow, I never knew this about Coffee, I have been counting my coffee intake as my water intake as well. Now i know. grrr. okay time to change that.

fteale

The dehydration effects of caffeine are miniscule, you would have to consume ridiculous quantities to dehydrate yourself to anywhere near a dangerous level.

Concentrated quantities, don't forget. Millions of people the world over drink nothing but tea and they aren't desiccated corpses. Tea and coffee still hydrate, just not *quite* as much as water. Even beer does. That's all people drank in the Middle Ages as water was considered unsafe. And yet they lived.

ElizabethRoad

Why is there so much focus on what does or does not count as water? The only question that matters is: Are you properly hydrated or not? You don't need to count your cups of water to answer that. The result is all that matters.

fteale

Wow, I never knew this about Coffee, I have been counting my coffee intake as my water intake as well. Now i know. grrr. okay time to change that.

You can count coffee, it's fine.

MissMaryMac33

How much water a day? (By the Mayo Clinic) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

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

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/drinking-enough-water-topic-overview

http://www.livestrong.com/article/466085-can-you-substiture-green-tea-for-the-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

"Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Although the approach really isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this easy-to-remember rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink."

rescueangel

Personally....to me:
If we are counting it as "hydration"
And caffeine "dehydrates"

This is a no brainer........don't cheat by using tea, coffee, and soda as a "hydrating" count.
Drink WATER!


This is what I learned going to school as an EMT.

MercuryBlue

I'm a dietician. All liquids count. Hydration comes in liquid form as well as food sources (such as melon, soups...) They are all accountable as liquid. Unless my 4 year degree was a waste of my time, coffee is not a proven diuretic, it also counts toward fluid intake. It does not dehydrate you, certain people may be affected by caffeine differently. Your reaction to caffeine can depend on the amount that you consume, the type of product, and your tolerance level. And of course water is still the recommended choice for optimal hydration, which of course we all know.

Thank you!

A great example of how caffeine affects people differently can be seen in those (like me) that suffer from ADHD. Whereas your average person might get 'cranked up' from stimulants such as caffeine or Ritalin, a person with an ADHD brain will feel calmer and more focused. A good, strong cup of coffee helps start my day off on the right foot- but, for someone else, it might make them jittery or feel sick.

Fit_Canuck

Of course you can count tea/coffee/soda/diet soda/orange juice etc.. as water, it's not the ideal perfect hydrator but just because it contains more substances than just water it still hydrates. It's not 100% hydrating but still hydrates

MFPfriend

My three rules:
1) Drink whatever you want. Whether it is caffeinated or not.
2) Track the liquids, both in the water count and the food diary (if drinking something other than water that has calories, sodium, etc).
3) Drink enough of anything to make sure your pee is close to clear.

Boom.
Life simplified.

chicklidell

Personally....to me:
If we are counting it as "hydration"
And caffeine "dehydrates"

This is a no brainer........don't cheat by using tea, coffee, and soda as a "hydrating" count.
Drink WATER!


This is what I learned going to school as an EMT.

If you went to school as an EMT and they taught you this, you should ask for a refund. This is wrong. Caffeine does not dehydrate.

fteale

Personally....to me:
If we are counting it as "hydration"
And caffeine "dehydrates"

This is a no brainer........don't cheat by using tea, coffee, and soda as a "hydrating" count.
Drink WATER!


This is what I learned going to school as an EMT.

It isn't cheating. Coffee tea etc doesn't dehydrate. They hydrate you. They are mostly water. CAFFEINE dehydrates you, but the amount in tea, coffee and coke isn't enough to achieve that.

Fit_Canuck

Personally....to me:
If we are counting it as "hydration"
And caffeine "dehydrates"

This is a no brainer........don't cheat by using tea, coffee, and soda as a "hydrating" count.
Drink WATER!


This is what I learned going to school as an EMT.

You are absolutely correct, it won't dehydrate you per say, it's a diuretic and will cause minimal fluid loss and then your body will kick in and retain fluid to compensate. You'd have to basically overdose on caffeine to cause massive fluid loss.

If you went to school as an EMT and they taught you this, you should ask for a refund. This is wrong. Caffeine does not dehydrate.

StacySkinny

I'm sorry but I just can't see counting soda pop as water. Drinking 8 cups of Pepsi or Coca-Cola does not equal 8 cups of water and shouldn't be treated at such. That's just IMO though.

ginnylee74

[This has probably been asked before, but I didn't see it.]

I've heard it both ways... no, tea (hot or iced) is not the same as water, and yes, tea (hot or iced) is exactly the same as water. I've never been much of a water drinker, but I do drink a lot of tea - unsweetened, throughout the day. Since all I'm doing is flavoring the water without sweetening it, can I count it as part of the recommended daily 8 cups of water?

Thanks!

I'll bet you didn't realize this would cause such a discussion. It's kinda funny. It's almost like the saying (parapharsing) If you want to keep your friends as friends, Never talk religion or politics. So I guess never talk about What Counts as Water and What Doesn't.

staceyb2003

My three rules:
1) Drink whatever you want. Whether it is caffeinated or not.
2) Track the liquids, both in the water count and the food diary (if drinking something other than water that has calories, sodium, etc).
3) Drink enough of anything to make sure your pee is close to clear.

Boom.
Life simplified.

I like this!

fteale

I'm sorry but I just can't see counting soda pop as water. Drinking 8 cups of Pepsi or Coca-Cola does not equal 8 cups of water and shouldn't be treated at such. That's just IMO though.

In the case of coke, perhaps not as they add a ton of stuff to have a really strong diuretic effect and make you drink more. But in general, it really does count, you just have to add in the massive whack of extra calories you get with those kind of drinks.

MercuryBlue

My three rules:
1) Drink whatever you want. Whether it is caffeinated or not.
2) Track the liquids, both in the water count and the food diary (if drinking something other than water that has calories, sodium, etc).
3) Drink enough of anything to make sure your pee is close to clear.

Boom.
Life simplified.

Boom. Lawyered.

ScatteredThoughts

"Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Although the approach really isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this easy-to-remember rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink."

I see that is from the Mayo Clinic article for which you gave a link. It should be also noted that the same article has this bit of information.

"Beyond the tap: Other sources of water

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available. "

TourThePast

Caffeine does not dehydrate. If it started as water, adding something to it does not make it not water.

You should do your own research on this to get an accurate, unbiased, medically-based opinion.

Absolutely agree, because there are very few people on here who don't spout pseudo science that they cannot back up with good evidence. By which I do not mean magazine articles!

Educate yourself on the issue, or believe any old rubbish that strangers on a forum tell you - I've even heard people claim in all seriousness that adding sugar to herbal teas means they don't "count" as water! :bigsmile:

skywa

i wouldnt count tea. because its a diaretic, and actually dehydrates you.

JennieAL

I count any liquid. Just not alcohol.

karinaes

[This has probably been asked before, but I didn't see it.]

I've heard it both ways... no, tea (hot or iced) is not the same as water, and yes, tea (hot or iced) is exactly the same as water. I've never been much of a water drinker, but I do drink a lot of tea - unsweetened, throughout the day. Since all I'm doing is flavoring the water without sweetening it, can I count it as part of the recommended daily 8 cups of water?

Thanks!

i count water and decaffeinated, unsweetened tea as water.. nothing else. we don't get enough water anyway, so i'm not going to count EVERYTHING that contains H2O and just drink plenty water and and decaf herbal tea

TourThePast

Unless my 4 year degree was a waste of my time, coffee is not a proven diuretic, it also counts toward fluid intake.

Your degree was not a waste of time, but trying to give a lot of the people on here the benefit of your education is absolutely a waste of time.

People would rather believe ill informed opinions in a magazine or advice from complete strangers on forums than take the trouble to lean about their bodies.

To be honest I'm pretty disgusted that this site does not have an FAQ setting out some of the basic knowledge about this stuff. The discussions are absolutely endless and tedious. Maybe if the site stated it in black and white, people would believe it. Because, yanno, it's on the internet so it must be true... *rolls eyes*

appleseeds

Caffeine does not dehydrate. If it started as water, adding something to it does not make it not water.

You should do your own research on this to get an accurate, unbiased, medically-based opinion.

You would have to drink like 30 cups of tea for the caffine level to dehydrate you, and then you've had so much water it couldn't possibly do so.

Hysiq

If it has caffeine it DOES NOT count as water. Everything else does.


Source: Nephrologist (kidney specialist)

MercuryBlue

Unless my 4 year degree was a waste of my time, coffee is not a proven diuretic, it also counts toward fluid intake.

Your degree was not a waste of time, but trying to give a lot of the people on here the benefit of your education is absolutely a waste of time.

People would rather believe ill informed opinions in a magazine or advice from complete strangers on forums than take the trouble to lean about their bodies.

To be honest I'm pretty disgusted that this site does not have an FAQ setting out some of the basic knowledge about this stuff. The discussions are absolutely endless and tedious. Maybe if the site stated it in black and white, people would believe it. Because, yanno, it's on the internet so it must be true... *rolls eyes*

It's funny because I used to be fairly active on the boards for a while, then went away for a bit to deal with some personal/life stuff. Came back to the boards today only to see the exact same things being discussed that were being discussed one and two years ago. Same questions- same misinformation as responses. My head is asploding right now.

Fit_Canuck

Unless my 4 year degree was a waste of my time, coffee is not a proven diuretic, it also counts toward fluid intake.

Your degree was not a waste of time, but trying to give a lot of the people on here the benefit of your education is absolutely a waste of time.

People would rather believe ill informed opinions in a magazine or advice from complete strangers on forums than take the trouble to lean about their bodies.

To be honest I'm pretty disgusted that this site does not have an FAQ setting out some of the basic knowledge about this stuff. The discussions are absolutely endless and tedious. Maybe if the site stated it in black and white, people would believe it. Because, yanno, it's on the internet so it must be true... *rolls eyes*

It's funny because I used to be fairly active on the boards for a while, then went away for a bit to deal with some personal/life stuff. Came back to the boards today only to see the exact same things being discussed that were being discussed one and two years ago. Same questions- same misinformation as responses. My head is asploding right now.

Noo don't asplode!! It'll be ok, trust me

fteale

My son's nephrologist (he only has one functional kidney, so I have learned a lot about this!) says the only things he has to avoid in later life are coca cola and tobacco. No mention of tea. I suspect it's not the caffeine in the coke that is the issue.

StacySkinny

Ok, some of you say that ALL liquids count towards your water intake, but from what I've read researches clearly demonstrated that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation due to their acidity and radical mineral imbalances. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones. So why on earth would someone count cola as water intake?


Sources:
Weiss GH, Sluss PM, Linke CA. Changes in urinary magnesium, citrate, and oxalate levels due to cola consumption. Urology. 1992 Apr;39(4):331-3.
and
Rodgers A. Effect of cola consumption on urinary biochemical and physicochemical risk factors associated with calcium oxalate urolithiasis. Urol Res. 1999;27(1):77-81.