Caffeine negates water intake?

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mrsnazario1219
mrsnazario1219 Posts: 173 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Someone just told me that the water in coffee or soda doesn't count as water intake, that it negates it. You'd have to drink extra water to make up for the caffeine. Anybody ever heard of this? I thought water was water?

Replies

  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
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    Caffeine is a diuretic but it doesn't make you pee more than the volume of liquid in the drink. So it still counts imo.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    What they told you is totally, completely, entirely, wholly, undeniably and indisputably false.

    What if you take a sip of coffee and then a sip of water? Does the caffeine in the coffee also affect the straight water since they reach the stomach about the same time?

    No. Your body will utilize water from any source the same way it will pure water. Water in coffee, water in Coke, water in food...to your body it's just water. As long as it gets into your body it will hydrate you.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    I have heard that nonsense before. It's not true. All non-alcoholic beverages count toward fluid intake. Whether you choose to log them is up to you, but it won't stop your body from using the water.

    The whole point of drinking more water than your body needs is to create a diuretic affect.
  • mrsnazario1219
    mrsnazario1219 Posts: 173 Member
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    They're saying that the caffeine dehydrates your body
  • drdocument
    drdocument Posts: 9 Member
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    I have read things about that as well. I have no doubt other ingredients in beverages (such as high sodium or sugar) may have some effect. But I do not spend time nit-picking about it. I drink a few cups of French press coffee in the morning, and other low-calorie beverages during the day, but always have 1/2 cup of water before and after each.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    They are wrong.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
    They're saying that the caffeine dehydrates your body

    It can if you consume enough. But you have to consume a lot, more than most people would ever consider.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965

    I've been seeing ads that say caffeinated drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
    Answers from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

    It is true that caffeinated fluids can contribute to your daily fluid requirement.

    Drinking caffeine–containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle doesn't cause fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested. While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect — meaning that they may cause the need to urinate — they don't appear to increase the risk of dehydration.
  • mrsnazario1219
    mrsnazario1219 Posts: 173 Member
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    Yeah.. Apparently she's a gym trainer. I hate confrontation but I hate bad information more.
  • 88kees
    88kees Posts: 1 Member
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    Caffeine does have a small diuretic effect, so if you were taking caffeine pills or eating a lot of chocolate, you could experience a small net water loss. However, the amount of water in a cup of coffee is much more than the amount of water lost due to the effects of caffeine, so you do not need to worry about dehydrating your body if you are drinking coffee. Of course, caffeine can have other negative effects on the body, so pay attention to what your body is telling you when you consume it.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    Ditto to the others. Yes, caffeine is a diuretic but no, it is not so powerful that the caffeine in coffee or soda will cause you to lose all (or even most of) the water in the drink.

    As long as your pee tells you that you're hydrated, that's all that matters.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Oh! Also, being a trainer at a gym rarely indicates that a person understands nutrition (but almost always indicates someone who thinks they do).

    ETA: for that matter, it doesn't even always indicate that they know what they should about exercise.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    If it did, I would have died of dehydration decades ago.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    In my opinion theres no reason to track water intake as long as urine is clear and light.

    You get water from foods, drinks, etc. It's pretty difficult to track all of that exactly. Drink enough liquids to have clear urine and you're fine.

    Don't sweat the small stuff. Yes it's a diuretic, but it should be fine if you don't have any issues with urine retention/dehydration, etc.
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
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    rankinsect wrote: »
    If it did, I would have died of dehydration decades ago.


    So would I :D

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Do not confront her. Just sip a bottle of water in front of her to prove to her that you can drink water.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
    They're saying that the caffeine dehydrates your body

    It can if you consume enough. But you have to consume a lot, more than most people would ever consider.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965

    I've been seeing ads that say caffeinated drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
    Answers from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

    It is true that caffeinated fluids can contribute to your daily fluid requirement.

    Drinking caffeine–containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle doesn't cause fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested. While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect — meaning that they may cause the need to urinate — they don't appear to increase the risk of dehydration.

    That's what I thought as well. That it does dehydrate but only if you drink a lot of it. And not necessarily soda since that has less caffiene than coffee/espresso, depending.

    That said, I don't count it as my water intake simply because it isn't water imo. While it contains water, it's also caramel coloring, citric acid, etc. Everyone's different though, and I drink about two liters of water in addition to other liquids like almond milk, the water in veggies and fruits, etc.
  • mrsnazario1219
    mrsnazario1219 Posts: 173 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Do not confront her. Just sip a bottle of water in front of her to prove to her that you can drink water.

    Ha! She's a Facebook friend.. I do drink lots of water but she's all "caffeine is the badz" lol.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    mrsnazario1219 wrote: »
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Do not confront her. Just sip a bottle of water in front of her to prove to her that you can drink water.

    Ha! She's a Facebook friend.. I do drink lots of water but she's all "caffeine is the badz" lol.

    Haha! Facebook Fitness Police!!!
    Send her this link.
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-truth-about-caffeine.htm
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Nope. Glad everyone has hit all the high points already.

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