Daily water intake

smcilvenie
smcilvenie Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If you drink coffee or tea does it count towards your water intake?

Replies

  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,186 Member
    It is liquid so yes, it counts.
  • mrmota70
    mrmota70 Posts: 533 Member
    edited May 2021
    Watermelon and grapefruit are another source of hydration. Along with a good supply of water tea and coffee in moderation will contribute to a good overall hydration.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Your body counts it as water.
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    I never do, because if they're caffeinated they're also dehydrating.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,282 Member
    I read that caffeine is a very very mild diuretic- nowhere near enough to negate the liquid taken in.

    But for some people it is a bladder irritant - ie you feel like you are peeing more but you are not really, you are just going to the toilet more often to pee the same amount.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    The really important thing is to be well (but not excessively) hydrated, from a combination of water, fluids in foods, other beverages, etc. For most people, thirst is a good guide. If not intuitive in that way (as sadly I'm not), then if urine is a pale yellow color (not brownish/dark) then everything's fine. (It can be kind of bright almost fluorescent yellow if getting more than the minimally required amounts of certain water-soluble vitamins, and that's OK . . . but dark is a bad sign.)

    Here's heresy: Even the water component of beer/wine/cocktails is hydrating (not the alcohol part, but lots of most of those drinks is water, in one form or another). Healthwise, still probably a bad plan to make those a big part of one's hydration strategy!
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    I read that caffeine is a very very mild diuretic- nowhere near enough to negate the liquid taken in.

    But for some people it is a bladder irritant - ie you feel like you are peeing more but you are not really, you are just going to the toilet more often to pee the same amount.

    Yep!
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Speakeasy76 wrote: »
    I never do, because if they're caffeinated they're also dehydrating.

    This is actually a myth. Due to the water in things like coffee, tea, and soda, they're hydrating even when they're caffeinated.

    (I'm not arguing that one SHOULD count them as water if they don't want to, but just pointing out that these liquids hydrate our bodies).

    Hmm, learn something new everyday.

    For me, though, I don't find them particularly thirst-quenching, and I'm a big water-drinker anyway.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I'd first start off with the thought "do I need to track my water and/or other fluid intake?".

    Any signs of dehydration or is it something that manages itself via your normal intake of drinks and foods plus your thirst response?

    And no a small amount of caffeine doesn't make a drink a net dehydrator, dosage matters. Even my sports drink that I use to stay hydrated on long bike rides has some caffeine.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    smcilvenie wrote: »
    If you drink coffee or tea does it count towards your water intake?

    It's all about hydration...not specifically water. Keeping yourself properly hydrated is what is important. One's hydration needs are also individual...there isn't a one size fits all. I live in the desert at a mile high in elevation and I'm an active person...my hydration needs will be much different from someone living at sea level in a temperate climate who is sedentary.

    You can tell if you're properly hydrated by the color of your urine.

    Yep. Also the food we consume represents about 20% of our hydrational needs.
  • bostonpaul22
    bostonpaul22 Posts: 31 Member
    I would not include it, aim for around a gallon of water per day
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    bostonpaul22 wrote: »
    I would not include it, aim for around a gallon of water per day

    Highly unnecessary. You could create a new problem with diluting sodium in the blood.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    It is liquid so yes, it counts.

    Caffeine is a diuretic, so not really.
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965#:~:text=Drinking caffeine-containing beverages as,increase the risk of dehydration.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    howardheilweil wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    It is liquid so yes, it counts.

    Caffeine is a diuretic, so not really.

    This myth will never die, ever.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    howardheilweil wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    It is liquid so yes, it counts.

    Caffeine is a diuretic, so not really.

    Well, some fairly substantial sources seem to disagree with that:

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/water/

    Ditto for CDC, USDA, etc. - they say coffee is fine, but caution watching out for calories in sweetenings/whips/etc.

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