Water Help for a stubborn bf

newCourtney
newCourtney Posts: 168 Member
edited October 7 in Food and Nutrition
I need some concrete, scientific evidence to prove to my bf that his body needs water everyday. He likes to drink tea, but I say he needs to drink regular water. I tried the "Tea has caffeine, which can dehydrate you, so you need plain water to make up for it." He didn't buy that. Any help??

Replies

  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Actually, the theory that caffeine causes dehydration was disproven through numerous studies over the last ten years. That is, if consumed in moderation, caffeine in your drinks will not cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, or other diuretic effects. It can still cause nervousness and insomnia, but depending on a person's tolerance, these effects can be minimal.

    Studies showed that for any significant diuretic effect to occur, you'd have to drink more tha 4 cups of coffee worth of caffeine. That being said, this can be easily reached in today's age of caffeine in everything. However, tea is probably rather safe in this regard, and he is likely not being dehydrated by drinking it. I bet he has a pretty high tolerance. The studies also showed that drinking excessive amounts of ANY liquid can inspire dehydration, including water.

    All in all, caffeinated beverages can be hard on the body if over done, especially when the water contained is chemically formulated, as with sodas. With teas, the concern I would think would be the sugar content. If he's drinking pre-bottled teas, he could be taking in a ton of sugar... But he shouldn't need to drink excessive amounts of water besides that to make up for it.
  • newCourtney
    newCourtney Posts: 168 Member
    He drinks diet tea, and my concern isn't so much the caffeine (it was just one argument I used). I really just want him to up his intake of water.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    My point is, he probably doesn't have to. However, if he has weight issues too, you could use the fact that water is a required element for healthy metabolism. That is, you can't really lose weight if you don't give your body enough water to catalyze with. I'm sure you can find more than this, but here is an article that is summarizing data that was taken from studies, that suggest that water increases calorie burn:
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20100823/water-may-be-a-secret-weapon-in-weight-loss
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    It does, however, support him in the sense that it states diet, non-calorie beverages such as sodas and teas can produce the same effect regarding reduced calorie intake and proper fluid balance in the body.
  • newCourtney
    newCourtney Posts: 168 Member
    Thanks....maybe what he is drinking is ok.....darn. I hate telling him he's right. I'll check out the info. :0)
  • unknownjae
    unknownjae Posts: 6
    I'm not stubborn, I'm doggedly persistent.

    Arizona Diet Peach Tea has 15 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces. Drinking 8 cups per day puts it at the low end of a regular cup of caffeinated coffee. I usually add to that somewhere between 8 and 32 ounces of actual coffee. Which puts me under the amount of caffeine you can have before the Mayo Clinic recommends you consider cutting back.

    And it doesn't matter whether you tell me I'm right or not...as you know, I always think I am anyway. And more importantly I'm going to keep drinking the 4 glasses of plain water we agreed to every day because I'm enjoying you holding up your end of the bargain way to much to quit.

    /hug
  • teephil
    teephil Posts: 135 Member
    Oh SNAP! Wait, what just happened?
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