Iced Tea?

bikersbabygirl
bikersbabygirl Posts: 1
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
Do you know if drinking iced tea (especially the cold brew kind) is the same as drinking water? Some say yes, some say no. Not sure if I should track my iced tea as part of my water intake. What do you guys think?
«1

Replies

  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    Tea and coffee are both diuretics, and thus make you pee. You'll lost more water over time then drinking either of those drinks over water.

    They're fine every once and a while, but might be best to stay away from them on days when you're going to be working out and need to sweat.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Tea and coffee are both diuretics, and thus make you pee. You'll lost more water over time then drinking either of those drinks over water.

    They're fine every once and a while, but might be best to stay away from them on days when you're going to be working out and need to sweat.

    False. Water is a diuretic.

    Water, tea, coffee, milk, juice, soda, and even beer and wine all hydrate you equally well.
  • deniseearheart
    deniseearheart Posts: 919 Member
    I drink one cup of coffee every morning and one glass of iced tea with dinner most nights....
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Tea and coffee are both diuretics, and thus make you pee. You'll lost more water over time then drinking either of those drinks over water.

    They're fine every once and a while, but might be best to stay away from them on days when you're going to be working out and need to sweat.

    False. Water is a diuretic.

    Water, tea, coffee, milk, juice, soda, and even beer and wine all hydrate you equally well.

    The tiger is correct.
  • kantone999
    kantone999 Posts: 174
    CAFFEINE is the diuretic, not the coffee or tea. And there's enough water in most (espresso is a possible exception) to offset the water loss.

    It's important is to drink pure water because it doesn't need to have other things filtered out by the kidneys.
  • LovesGG
    LovesGG Posts: 241 Member
    An abnormally large amount of tea, like 2 gallons a day, will have a diuretic effect because of the caffeine. Everything in moderation.
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
    My understanding, from a couple of nutritionists, is that the caffeine is the issue. They recommended to me that I only count half of any caffeinated beverage (tea, coffee, soda) toward my water intake. So, if I drink 4 cups of water, and 4 cups of tea, then I get to count a total of 6 cups of water. Milk and juices can count toward water in a 1:1 ratio; but then have the added calories, etc.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    No.

    Tea is a diuretic. For every cup of tea, coffee, pop, and juice (yes, even gatorade that is high in sugar) you consume you must drink an additional two glass of water. Or so my nutritionists and running coaches tell me.

    I have heard that herbal decaf tea CAN count towards the water intake...but decaf coffee is acceptable in only small amounts....but I personally wouldn't have more than 2 cups of either anyways.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    My understanding, from a couple of nutritionists, is that the caffeine is the issue. They recommended to me that I only count half of any caffeinated beverage (tea, coffee, soda) toward my water intake. So, if I drink 4 cups of water, and 4 cups of tea, then I get to count a total of 6 cups of water. Milk and juices can count toward water in a 1:1 ratio; but then have the added calories, etc.
    Many things are "diuretics" - I can train a monkey to know what foods act as a diuretic.

    What we humans are supposed to be able to do is think critically about the things that we're told and what we read.

    The issue is NOT what's a diuretic and what's not, any more than "Will I lose weight if I eat X?".

    The issue is how big is the effect for a given serving of whatever.

    Remember - "It's the dose, not the poison."

    If you're a regular user of caffeine (a regular user is someone who drinks a few cups of coffee or other caffeinated beverage) the diuretic effect is negligible.

    If you're not a regular user of caffeine, I got nothing for you. Sorry. :-)

    No, the diuretic effect is very slight and, especially for people who insist on drinking plain water, negligible.

    Don't worry about it.

    As it is said - "Eat less, exercise more, and get on with life."
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member

    False. Water is a diuretic.

    Water, tea, coffee, milk, juice, soda, and even beer and wine all hydrate you equally well.

    Well touche'. I don't agree with the wine and beer. With the amount myself and those around me drink... works the kidneys and liver a little too hard to get that net gain of fluids...
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    So Tiger, are you suggesting that I should tell all of my congestive heart failureand chronic renal failure patients that they can have as much water as they would like because water is a diuretic?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    So Tiger, are you suggesting that I should tell all of my congestive heart failureand chronic renal failure patients that they can have as much water as they would like because water is a diuretic?
    Not_sure_if_serious.jpg
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_ridicule

    Are you denying that water is in fact a diuretic?

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/357169-diuretic-foods-list/
  • eelane
    eelane Posts: 27 Member
    just get caffeine free tea, that's what I do. Tastes exactly the same.
  • toabetterlifestyle
    toabetterlifestyle Posts: 230
    I count tea as water. It's mostly water based.. But I don't count juice or coffee or milk or anything like some other's do. I only count water, tea, and aloe/coconut water.

    but i still log them because aloe water ect has quite a few cals
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Some say yes, some say no.
    You know you aren't going to get a unanimous answer here. How about you try it for a while, and see if your pee is as clear as it should be?
  • kissy28wv
    kissy28wv Posts: 74
    Your going to get so many opinions on here. What I do may not be right for you. Listen to your body and do what it asks of you. I gave up iced tea and would love to give up coffee at some point but I refuse to give up everything I enjoy. I do two cups of coffee in the A.M. and two in the P.M. Is it right? wrong? its right for me for now. But I also get my water in through out the day.
  • stormy_eyez742
    stormy_eyez742 Posts: 37 Member
    Here is a link that may be helpful. It has information on what to drink, how much, how it counts, etc...I found it on eatingwell.com:

    http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/how_much_water_to_drink
  • MelissaGraham7
    MelissaGraham7 Posts: 406 Member
    big controversial subject - I like the advice that says do what works for you. Decaf tea is nice, particularly if it is green. COffee and tea have lots of nice antioxidants, etc. and caffeine should be used on moderation. I do count my 1 cup of coffee per day and my 3 or 4 glasses of decaf green tea amongst my water numbers and I don't think it matters hugely. Drink plenty of fluids. Water is good but so are the other things. The important thing to do is stay hydrated.
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    I only count stuff like tea as water if there's no sugar...so if I make my own iced green tea with JUST a tea bag and the water then I consider it water but if I'm adding sugar to it then I don't.

    But I know a lot of people count any liquid as water...
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    Well Tiger,
    I am indeed denying that water is a diuretic. I know exactly the definition of diuretic that allows you to call water a diuretic, but that definition is in no way a correct definition in the medical or pharmacologic world. A diuretic is any substance that would cause you to rid your body of EXCESS water.
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    OK Tiger, you do know that the person writing the article you listed as a reference has very little practical experience nor the proper education to write such an article. Water will indeed cause you to urinate more if you have healthy kidneys or a healthy heart but even then I doubt it will pull excess water from your body.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    OK Tiger, you do know that the person writing the article you listed as a reference has very little practical experience nor the proper education to write such an article. Water will indeed cause you to urinate more if you have healthy kidneys or a healthy heart but even then I doubt it will pull excess water from your body.
    Neither will the 35mg of caffeine in tea, especially when diluted in water, which is my point.
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    Furthermore Tiger, not one of the articles she listed as a reference ever touched on the fact of water as a diuretic or even suggested that water was a diuretic. Since you are so sure that it is a diuretic though I will make sure to tell my next congestive heart failure patient with 4 plus pitting edema in her lower extremities and crackles in bilateral lung fields that her problem must be that she hasn't drunk enough water for the day and that she should probably drink another gallon of water and that will surely rid her body of all the EXCESS water it is storing in places water should not even be.
  • jandk09
    jandk09 Posts: 99 Member
    no no no please dont do that...lol
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    Are you sure I shouldn't? Might be just the thing they need.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Furthermore Tiger, not one of the articles she listed as a reference ever touched on the fact of water as a diuretic or even suggested that water was a diuretic. Since you are so sure that it is a diuretic though I will make sure to tell my next congestive heart failure patient with 4 plus pitting edema in her lower extremities and crackles in bilateral lung fields that her problem must be that she hasn't drunk enough water for the day and that she should probably drink another gallon of water and that will surely rid her body of all the EXCESS water it is storing in places water should not even be.

    Do you always rely on logical fallacies?
  • midnightryder
    midnightryder Posts: 47
    If it gets my point across, yes.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    I don't think the tiger (haha) was trying to suggest that water pulls excess water from the body. I think the tiger meant it pulls just about the same amount of excess water as the tiny bit of caffeine does in tea-which is none.

    S/he was suggesting that none of those liquids will pull excess water, but will in fact hydrate you.

    I think, anyway :)
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Here we go again!

    You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for tea/coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

    di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
    adj.
    Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
    n.
    A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

    Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

    http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

    http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

    http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

    http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

    http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

    http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo
  • Mandarz
    Mandarz Posts: 50 Member
    Do you know if drinking iced tea (especially the cold brew kind) is the same as drinking water? Some say yes, some say no. Not sure if I should track my iced tea as part of my water intake. What do you guys think?

    If you are using a fruit tea, or decaf tea instead of a regular black tea, then yes you can count it as water, so long as you dont sweeten it with anything calorific!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories