Does coffee count as a glass of water?

My nutritionist says for each cup of coffee I drink, I need to drink an EXTRA cup of water (above my normal 8) to make up for it because it is a diuretic.

Your nutritionist is wrong.

mine says the same thing. They must have went to the same college

8 oz of any fluid counts as fluid, simple as that. 8 oz of water, 8 oz of soda, 8 oz of juice, 8 oz of milk, 8 oz of beer, 8 oz of coffee, it's all fluid.

^^^ This according to an article I read from the Mayo Clinic...

No. Coffee actually DEHYDRATES you. Never count coffee as water, just drink plain water.

Incorrect. Research shows that coffee is fine.

Caffeine is a VERY MILD diuretic, but it's not sufficient to offset the fact that you just drank a cup of coffee.

Also, you don't HAVE to drink 8 glasses of water per day, that's pseudoscience - your body is more than capable of telling you when to drink....drink when you're thirsty.

if you wait until you are thristy, you are already dehydrated. just fyi.

Sounds like some garbage you got off a site telling you that drinking 8 cups a day is necessary.

Ok, so if all fluids are classed as part of our water intake then surely that follows to a glass of wine?

I'm loving this fitness thing!!

My nutritionist says for each cup of coffee I drink, I need to drink an EXTRA cup of water (above my normal 8) to make up for it because it is a diuretic.

Your nutritionist is wrong.

mine says the same thing. They must have went to the same college

They must have, because they are wrong.

There are a number of bad nutrition certifications out there. You should check your nutritionist's credentials to ensure they are a board-certified clinical nutritionist - preferably with an M.D., PhD, or R.D.


http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/nutritionist.html

The water you use to make the water counts towards your fluid intake, so does the milk. The dehydration cause by coffee is insignificant.

<snip>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. <snip>

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/NSECTIONGROUP=2

<snip>Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day. <snip>

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

Also, there is evidence to suggest that if you drink more that 5 - 7 cups a day you are actually 'immune' to the mild diuretic effect (and other effects) of caffiene.

My nutritionist says for each cup of coffee I drink, I need to drink an EXTRA cup of water (above my normal 8) to make up for it because it is a diuretic.

no

so, you take WATER, and you run it through some ground up dried out beans to make it turn brown, and suddenly it isn't water anymore?!?!?! What kind of wizardry is this?

it's still water. and the caffeine isn't going to make it less wet.

this.

The only thing I count as water is plain water.

^^^ - and I'm not pressed about my water intake. The "8 glasses per day" is a nice guideline and it will help make you feel fuller so can be helpful during the first couple of weeks of calorie cutting - but I don't sweat it much (haha). I chose water most of the time anyway - and when I feel thirsty, I will ONLY drink water - nothing else will do if I'm thirsty.

A friends nutritionist told her that if you drink coffee you have to cut it in half to count it. So if you drank 8 oz coffee you could log it as 4oz of water (due to diuretic effect)

/\/\THIS!! I also follow this rule for tea/juice and other "non" water drinks.