Does coffee count for water?

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  • WilliamsPeggy
    WilliamsPeggy Posts: 440 Member
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    I don't count coffee as water, though I sure drink it like it's life sustaining.
  • ShandiH
    ShandiH Posts: 232 Member
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    Thanks for all the posts, opinions and some just count to 10 and calm down. It's not like I don't get *plenty* of water in a day. I personally prefer water to most drinks. I was just curious to what extent you can classify some drinks, like coffee, as your daily 8 cups of water . . . curiosity kills the cat, eh?
  • Roshams
    Roshams Posts: 77
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    WOW, people really can get fired up over anything, can't they??

    Everyone thinks they can GOOGLE better then the next guy. LMFAO

    Bwahahaha!!! This is the best, most accurate answer in this entire thread...

    Why Thank you, that just made my day ;)
  • Whinchat
    Whinchat Posts: 84 Member
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    I wonder if your kidneys can tell whether the water they're filtering comes from a cup of Columbia's finest or something straight out of the tap....or even if it's come from a bowl of salad? :wink:
  • peteb79
    peteb79 Posts: 386
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    Why doesn't everyone just do what they want to do?

    Me, I like to drink water, I drink a lot of water at least 1 gallon a day.. it helps keep my mind off snacking.. I don't drink it because I think my body "needs" it.. I drink it because I like doing it and it's not killing me. I recommend people do the same not because they 'need' it.. but because it helps me.. it might help them, if they don't want to do it, then they don't have to.

    As far as the other points of view, If I drink a glass of water, then eat some coffee beans (just an example.. blech) , wouldn't that be the same thing as drinking a cup of coffee, why can't the water be counted?, it all ends up in our stomach anyway... if it has water in it, sure it can be counted.. but that's just my opinion, which we are all entitled too.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    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?

    Okay irishgirl63 same question to you.
    I don't like the taste of water unless I'm thirsty. So tell me why, when there is absolutely no medical reason, should I have to force 8 glasses of water down my throat?

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

    You're missing the point.
    I'm asking why when there's no reason to drink 8 glasses I should still (and I'll quote it here again since you missed it) just drink 8 cups of regular water a day.

    You're missing the point.
    I'm saying you don't have to. (Do the italics help you understand?)

    Okay. I was asking someone who thinks that we do have to drink 8 glasses of water why.
    I stated that it was unnecessary to drink that much water and asked for his reasoning.

    I know it's a myth that is why I said there's no medical reason to do so in my post. You are talking to someone who is well aware it's a myth. I was trying to get an answer from someone who thinks that we should just drink it anyway.

    Comprehend?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Thanks for all the posts, opinions and some just count to 10 and calm down. It's not like I don't get *plenty* of water in a day. I personally prefer water to most drinks. I was just curious to what extent you can classify some drinks, like coffee, as your daily 8 cups of water . . . curiosity kills the cat, eh?

    This is always a hot topic.
    If I am one of the ones you are referring to, I am really not as worked up as you think. It is possible to have opposing opinions without being upset. I don't think anyone here really got to personal about it.

    As for the out-googling comment. It was funny. However, I find I learn a ton when people do that. You get to see a lot of different information on both sides of an arugment. They aren't always legit sources, but even that helps to find out where you can look for good sources and not so good. Lord knowns the internet is full of crap.

    ETA- I really am leaving for the gym - I am such a procrastinator!
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I think it counts, if you want to count it. It sounds like everyone who has responded has their own rules with respect to this.

    I personally don't bother counting glasses of water. There's a lot of water in the food I eat: fresh fruits & veggies, oatmeal, soups, stews, herbal teas, etc. I drink when I'm thirsty. Sometimes I drink when I'm hungry to buy some time between meals. But, meeting some arbitrary number of glasses of actual water--no, I don't do that.

    This whole 8-glasses a day thing came from someone's un-researched opinion and has stuck with the fitness/dieting community.

    Do what makes sense to you within the overall context of your diet.

    Check out this link on the myth of 8 glasses a day: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    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

    ^^What he said!!!!^^

    The idea that the water in food and beverages doesn't count is absurd. If I took a caffeine tablet then drank a glass of water, the water counts but if the caffeine is mixed in the water it doesn't? "Neat" water isn't pure, by any means. There are acceptable levels of contaminants, and with bottled water often even intentionally added minerals. What little of the coffee bean gets suspended in the water (coffee is a colloidal suspension) is simply a contaminant (and not all "contaminants" are necessarily bad). Ditto this for tea, juice, Crystal Light yadda yadda. Now, artificial (and even super sweet natural) sweeteners CAN contribute to weight gain and should be used in moderation, but the water in Crystal Light still counts as water.
  • ShandiH
    ShandiH Posts: 232 Member
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    Thanks for all the posts, opinions and some just count to 10 and calm down. It's not like I don't get *plenty* of water in a day. I personally prefer water to most drinks. I was just curious to what extent you can classify some drinks, like coffee, as your daily 8 cups of water . . . curiosity kills the cat, eh?

    This is always a hot topic.
    If I am one of the ones you are referring to, I am really not as worked up as you think. It is possible to have opposing opinions without being upset. I don't think anyone here really got to personal about it.

    No, you are not one of the ones I was referring to. :smile:

    Guess, I don't understand why it's a hot topic . . .
  • MysticLiz
    MysticLiz Posts: 61 Member
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    Coffee is not water.

    Water is water.


    NUFF SAID! ;)
  • ElPumaMex
    ElPumaMex Posts: 367 Member
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    I don't count coffee as water, though I sure drink it like it's life sustaining.

    LOL
    I also drink a lot of coffee

    My last statement on this:

    Don't need to count coffee as water, in the same way we don't need to count Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Soda, or any other drink.
    Don't worry about keeping track of water that closely !
    Just drink water, enough to have your urine reasonably clear in color
    No science there, just common sense
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I second most everyone on this. No because it's really not the same as water, if we count everything that is made with water we'll be counting everything lol. Plus everyone's body needs different amounts of water. My doctor wants me to drink 10 glasses of water a day.

    Coffee works like a laxative for me lol. But that's one reason I only have 1 glass in the morning instead of like a full pot.
  • JG1807
    JG1807 Posts: 40
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    If it's made with a cup of water then it's water...your kidneys will do the rest :)
  • NewVonnie
    NewVonnie Posts: 683 Member
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    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

    You're my new favourite person. :laugh:

    He's mine too..and he's absolutely correct. WHY overcomplicate everything??
  • lori4013
    lori4013 Posts: 73 Member
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    yes, my doc says it counts. best without any sugars or creams, as far as calories go.
  • lori4013
    lori4013 Posts: 73 Member
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    "like"
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    One difference I noticed between drinking two cups of coffee vs two cups of water - when I donate blood and all I've had is coffee with breakfast in the morning, they have a VERY hard time getting a vein, and if they do, the donation goes super S L O W! First time this happened they asked if I'd had any water yet that day. Oops. I was in the chair longer than anyone else in the room and took forever to get that pint of blood.

    I found that drinking plenty of water before a donation makes the whole proces much, much faster - easy stick to get the vein, and the pint fills up much quicker - the blood bank was happy (so was I!).

    So I'd say that the coffee doesn't hydrate as well as plain ol' water does. That's my non-expert-go-by-my-own-observation-and-experience opinion of this debate. :tongue:
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    Anything edible with moisture has water. It all 'counts' to your body. Caffeine in drinks does NOT negate the hydrating effect of the water in said drinks. If you want to drink water and save on calories...there you go...if you don't like plain water and prefer something else and fit it in your calories...there you go. Being hydrated won't make you lose anything more than water weight anyhow...
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    One difference I noticed between drinking two cups of coffee vs two cups of water - when I donate blood and all I've had is coffee with breakfast in the morning, they have a VERY hard time getting a vein, and if they do, the donation goes super S L O W! First time this happened they asked if I'd had any water yet that day. Oops. I was in the chair longer than anyone else in the room and took forever to get that pint of blood.

    I found that drinking plenty of water before a donation makes the whole proces much, much faster - easy stick to get the vein, and the pint fills up much quicker - the blood bank was happy (so was I!).

    So I'd say that the coffee doesn't hydrate as well as plain ol' water does. That's my non-expert-go-by-my-own-observation-and-experience opinion of this debate. :tongue:
    Pretty sure this has nothing to do with hydration levels, as much as it does the caffeine constricting your blood vessels.

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