Does coffee count for water?

ShandiH

So, if I drink 1 cup of coffee in the morning does that mean I can mark 1 cup of water down for the day? Just curious.

HMonsterX

Ill get in quick to try to nip this in the bud

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

bigjeffyc105_deleted

I don't think so, and it has calories.. just fyi.. not alot but it has some.



I would like to retract my above statement...lol

ajeska

No, coffee actually dehydrates you.

dls06

I don't count it because it acts like a diaretic for me. :flowerforyou:

ansonrinesmith

My rule is: If you can't see through it in a clear glass, you can't count it as water.
While it will hydrate you, plain water will help the most.

UponThisRock

Ill get in quick to try to nip this in the bud

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

This.

Plus, there's really no need to "count" water in the first place.

Dave198lbs

Plus, there's really no need to "count" water in the first place.

oh geesh. some count it to make sure they drink it. whether a cup of coffee counts or not? just drink 8 cups of regular water a day. it really aint all that much or hard to do unless you obsess about it.

why overthink everything? our bodies are mostly water so drinking good clean water makes sense? doesnt it?

UponThisRock

why overthink everything? our bodies are mostly water so drinking good clean water makes sense? doesnt it?

Of course it makes sense. That still doesn't mean you need to "count" water. Our bodies actually have a built-in mechanism for letting us know when we need water.

Trophyyf

I once read that once you put something in water besides lime or lemon it's no longer water. :0/ Not sure if it's true or not.

Jazzyrose77

Nope cause of the caffeine. Some herbal tea can count if they have no caffeine in them.

jaclyndanette

I know Weight Watchers started counting anything you drink (even alcohol, I think...) as water. I still like to get 8 cups of water in each day because I feel like it keeps me full. But if you're only getting 7 cups of water in each day, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

QueenJayJay

Coffee is not water.

Water is water.

Dave198lbs

why overthink everything? our bodies are mostly water so drinking good clean water makes sense? doesnt it?

Of course it makes sense. That still doesn't mean you need to "count" water. Our bodies actually have a built-in mechanism for letting us know when we need water.

using that logic we dont need to count any food calories either. our bodies tell us when we are hungry. I guess they can close this site down.

xTenaciousJx

i rarely drink it but i put it in- it's usually 5 calories....just coffee then you need to add the calories for the sugar, milk, cream etc...(i only drink de-caffinated)

i use 2 tbl of cream which is 40 cal and splenda no calories= 45 calories for one cup of coffee...

if you get some from starbucks or dunkin donuts its in the database and you can add the calories that way.

UponThisRock

I once read that once you put something in water besides lime or lemon it's no longer water. :0/ Not sure if it's true or not.

LOL

kelnort

one cup of coffee will not dehydrate you. multiple cups will. however, i would still not count it as water. i normally have 6-8 oz of water before and after each meal and each snack. hope that helps, good luck

hpsnickers1

Yes, coffee can count towards your total water intake. So can the water from the foods you eat. So does tea. Yes, coffee and tea make you pee but you are still getting fluids. Your body will keep the balance of water in your body just fine - if you let it.

What the "experts" neglect to emphasize when they tell you to down 64oz of water a day is that you can get a good portion of that through food. As long as it is real, WHOLE foods (not boxed, processed crap).

My body lets me know when I need to drink some water. If I slack on one day then I wake up thirsty the next day.

In fact, I no longer drink water on an empty stomach - it actually cramps my tummy. I don't down water before eating and I don't drink a lot during eating - your stomach has a specific pH for breaking down food and I'm not chancing diluting that with a bunch of water and giving me indigestion - which it has done before.

8oz of black coffee contains 2 calories.

UponThisRock

using that logic we dont need to count any food calories either. our bodies tell us when we are hungry. I guess they can close this site down.

Hunger is based on many factors, the physical need for calories is only one of them. Also, the satisfaction of hunger is not the only reason people eat. Our bodies are actually designed to get us to consume more than we need, and it gets worse when you're in a calorie deficit.

Thirst and hunger don't work in the same way.

unrulygurl

I once read that once you put something in water besides lime or lemon it's no longer water. :0/ Not sure if it's true or not.

Lemon plus water is water, lime plus water isn't. Kidding!

It's water plus a bonus of vitamin C.

If it's made with water, it's water +.

christinal83

No, coffee actually dehydrates you.

That actually isnt true

SenoraMacias

I count hot tea (decaffeinated) because it doesn't add anything to make it "not" water anymore. Coffee does have like 3 calories or something, but it also has the caffeine and other substances that wouldn't hydrate you the same way water does.

jennalink807

If you just chew on the coffee then no. If you add it to a cup of water, then you've consumed a cup of water- the coffee is just a bonus now that's not to say i'd go and drink 8 cups of coffee and nothing else... lol

mSquared77

Why does it matter? Just drink your water, and enjoy your coffee, too.

UpEarly

My rule is: If you can't see through it in a clear glass, you can't count it as water.
While it will hydrate you, plain water will help the most.

I can see through a giant glass of vodka perfectly! I just wanted to point that out. :-)

Claiire_Louise

My rule is: If you can't see through it in a clear glass, you can't count it as water.
While it will hydrate you, plain water will help the most.

vodka is clear...............................

i personally do not count coffee as water but i do add all my coffees to my diary :-)

HauteP1nk

NO!

For every cup of coffee, tea, or pop you need to drink TWO glasses of water!

These are all diuretics which means they take water from our bodies.

aranchmom

why overthink everything? our bodies are mostly water so drinking good clean water makes sense? doesnt it?

Of course it makes sense. That still doesn't mean you need to "count" water. Our bodies actually have a built-in mechanism for letting us know when we need water.

using that logic we dont need to count any food calories either. our bodies tell us when we are hungry. I guess they can close this site down.

1. eat when you feel hunger - stop when full. (not stuffed)
2. Drink when you feel thirsty - stop when your thirst is quenched. (not floating away)
3. Shut down this site.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it. :drinker: :flowerforyou: :laugh: :drinker: :happy:

karagav

it's been explained to me that for every cup of coffee or caffeinated tea you become dehydrated and need to drink at least double that in water to rehydrate yourself. so i definitely would not be counting coffee as water...just like i wouldn't count tea as water, even decaf.

dsjohndrow

My nutritionist said I should count it as water. It is not a replacement for water!

crawpapa

Man I wish this was true.....all those wasted Rum and Cokes could count!! HAHA!