Is drinking unsweetened ice tea as good as water?

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Nihi
Nihi Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I've all but eliminated drinking soda, and drink probably half a gallon of unsweetned ice tea daily instead. Should I drink more water in addition to that? Does one 8oz cup of tea equal 8oz of water, as far as all the touted benefits of drinking lots of water go? :p
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  • RdySetGO11
    RdySetGO11 Posts: 89 Member
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    I count my tea as water but ONLY if it's unsweet. If I drink sweet tea, then I don't.
  • dancingdeer
    dancingdeer Posts: 379 Member
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    You should continue to drink more water. Tea is dehydrating, so it shouldn't count toward your water intake.

    Last year - a dear friend of mine fainted at her art opening (it was super hot) because she had been drinking tea all day but no water! The EMS told her that she needed to start drinking water and less tea. Needless to say - she had to go to the hospital for 3 days for tests to make sure she was okay!
  • tweez8976
    tweez8976 Posts: 94 Member
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    Tea has a lot of natural antioxidants that provide additional benefits to water. Some do have caffeine, some don't - so if you are concerned about your caffeine intake you can stick to the decaf varieties. I drink tons of unsweet tea in addition to water. Way better for you than sweet tea, sodas or diet drinks with artificial sweeteners!
  • stephn1
    stephn1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I drink both water and unsweetened tea. I count the tea as water it doesn't have anything in it no sugar no lemon just boring tea, but I like it better than water.
  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
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    I've all but eliminated drinking soda, and drink probably half a gallon of unsweetned ice tea daily instead. Should I drink more water in addition to that? Does one 8oz cup of tea equal 8oz of water, as far as all the touted benefits of drinking lots of water go? :p

    No, while its not really bad for you its not water. Tea has a diuretic effect so it actually causes your body to lose water. Generally I drink a glass of water now for every glass of unsweet tea I drink. But no it doesn't really count as water.
  • bfebbo
    bfebbo Posts: 2 Member
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    I also count my unsweet tea as water. I forgot to bring my tea with me to work today - and i have noticed i just have a hard time drinking a lot of water - so tea works for me.
  • mandygal13
    mandygal13 Posts: 219 Member
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    I only count the tea as water if it is decaf. the caffeine makes a difference - IMO.
  • DDLY66
    DDLY66 Posts: 5 Member
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    I don't count unsweet iced tea unless it is decaf.
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
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    For the last couple weeks I've been drinking mostly green tea instead of water. I just throw one green tea bag into a pitcher of water and drink it throughout the day. I count it as my water. I haven't found a problem with the caffeine (heck I forgot about the caffeine lol) and haven't have problems with being dehydrated.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    this question is brought up pretty regularly and a lot of people have a lot of opinions on what is water. specific to your question:
    tea contains tanins which block iron absorbtion, caffeine which is dehydrating as well as good for you antioxidants. It is not water. Water is water. Too much tea (and I know this from personal experience) can cause low iron levels and for someone who already has lower iron levels (like me) can cause anemia (no fun!!).

    Enjoy your tea but don't use it in place of water! I try to drink a glass of water prior to drinking a glass of tea, even if I'm bored with my water I'll chug it fast and enjoy the tea.
  • RRB_Fan
    RRB_Fan Posts: 9 Member
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    I found this article on Tea.....

    http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/18/33-health-benefits-of-drinking-tea/
  • kaellinn18
    kaellinn18 Posts: 31 Member
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    People, ANYTHING you drink is water. All of it. Tea, soda, milk, p***, ANYTHING. It is all based on water. There are no health benefits to water other than keeping you hydrated. It is just hydrogen and oxygen. There is nothing else there aside from whatever stray minerals come from your tap or whatever water source you are using. The only reason it is recommended that you drink 64oz of water is to keep you hydrated. If you drink 8 ounces of pee, congratulations, you have imbibed 8oz ounces of water. Only 56oz to go! I hope this answers this question once and for all.

    **edited by MFP forum Moderator**

    Ms_Natalie
  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
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    People, ANYTHING you drink is water. All of it. Tea, soda, milk, p***, ANYTHING. It is all based on water. There are no health benefits to water other than keeping you hydrated. It is just hydrogen and oxygen. There is nothing else there aside from whatever stray minerals come from your tap or whatever water source you are using. The only reason it is recommended that you drink 64oz of water is to keep you hydrated. If you drink 8 ounces of pee, congratulations, you have imbibed 8oz ounces of water. Only 56oz to go! I hope this answers this question once and for all.

    It doesn't answer it, because drinking anything with caffeine has the opposite effect of hydrating your body, it actually dehydrates you. So tea with caffeine is not water.

    Caffeine free/herbal teas however are fine.
  • kaellinn18
    kaellinn18 Posts: 31 Member
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    It doesn't answer it, because drinking anything with caffeine has the opposite effect of hydrating your body, it actually dehydrates you. So tea with caffeine is not water.

    Caffeine free/herbal teas however are fine.

    Wrong. Caffeine is only a diuretic if you drink 500-600mg a day, which is way more than anyone should be drinking in a day. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661) Alcohol is much more of a diuretic than caffeine. Suffice it to say that as long as you are drinking caffeine/alcohol in moderation, you are fine. Count your sodas and teas.
  • aliefit
    aliefit Posts: 5
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    People, ANYTHING you drink is water. All of it. Tea, soda, milk, p***, ANYTHING. It is all based on water. There are no health benefits to water other than keeping you hydrated. It is just hydrogen and oxygen. There is nothing else there aside from whatever stray minerals come from your tap or whatever water source you are using. The only reason it is recommended that you drink 64oz of water is to keep you hydrated. If you drink 8 ounces of pee, congratulations, you have imbibed 8oz ounces of water. Only 56oz to go! I hope this answers this question once and for all.

    It doesn't answer it, because drinking anything with caffeine has the opposite effect of hydrating your body, it actually dehydrates you. So tea with caffeine is not water.

    Caffeine free/herbal teas however are fine.
    LOL
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    Actually, kaelinn18 is correct. Your body uses water from any source that has water in it, including food. There's nothing magical about drinking plain water. And any "dehydrating" effects from caffeinated beverages are more than counterbalanced by the water in the beverage.

    http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Top_Ten_Nutrition_Myths.htm?cmp=17-7-1007
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I asked a doctor once if my Iced Tea was the same as my water, and could I drink half and half.

    He asked me if I would wash my white shirt in tea? Of course I said no. He went on to explain water not only hydrates, but cleans and purifies.

    I can tell you this. WHen I drink only tea all day, I do not feel as good as I do when I drink clear water all day.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I usually count any fluid as "water" now. I tried drinking the 8 cups of water in addition to my coffee, tea and iced tea. I just had to go to the bathroom too often!

    Replacing any sugary drinks is still a great thing to do.
  • spankyvol
    spankyvol Posts: 2
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    Common Myth... below from Mayo Clinic.

    Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not? I've been seeing ads that say cola and coffee drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?

    Answer from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

    It is true. 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.

    Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    It doesn't answer it, because drinking anything with caffeine has the opposite effect of hydrating your body, it actually dehydrates you. So tea with caffeine is not water.

    Caffeine free/herbal teas however are fine.

    Wrong. Caffeine is only a diuretic if you drink 500-600mg a day, which is way more than anyone should be drinking in a day. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661) Alcohol is much more of a diuretic than caffeine. Suffice it to say that as long as you are drinking caffeine/alcohol in moderation, you are fine. Count your sodas and teas.

    This is correct.

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