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When it comes to coffee, there are lots of bad things associated with it. Coffee is also known for its addictive property due to caffeine content. Moreover, caffeine is known for its diuretic property, which can lead to dehydration.
Do Drinking Coffee and Tea Causes Dehydration?
For years, we’ve been led to believe that coffee or even tea can cause dehydration. However, there are those who argue that coffee can result in dehydration.
In an interview with TIME, Dr. Daniel Vigil says neither coffee nor tea is dehydrating.
When you drink a cup of coffee or you drink a glass of iced tea, you are necessarily taking in a volume of fluid along with that dose of [caffeine]. Even though caffeine is a mild diuretic, you won’t lose more fluid through urine than you take in by drinking a caffeinated beverage. Your body is able to absorb as much fluid as it needs and expel the rest.
This has been supported and explained by a middle school science teacher.
Moreover, athletes enjoy the benefit of caffeine consumption as part of their hydration. However, an expert says even though he recommends people drinking coffee if they love it, they should not rely on it as a sole source of hydration. Still, drinking the right amount of water is an excellent way to maintain hydration.
As a matter of fact, there are many health benefits from replacing sugary drinks with water. Moreover, regular consumption of lemon water is even more hydrating, as well as consuming watermelon.
Coffee Is Not Dehydrating, Science Says
For those of you who want to dig deeper and perhaps, ask if there is any study that backs coffee as not dehydrating, well, there is. A study1 back in 2014 says that moderate coffee consumption has no evidence it can result to dehydration.
In this study, the researchers say that coffee is not only dehydrating but also contributes to the body’s daily fluid requirement.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to directly compare the chronic effects of coffee ingestion with water against a wide range of hydration assessment techniques. We hypothesized that when ingested in moderation; coffee would contribute to daily fluid requirement and would not result in progressive dehydration over the course of 72 hours.
Our data shows;
- No significant differences in the hydrating properties of coffee or water across a wide range of hydration assessment indices.
- No significant differences were observed between conditions in any of the hematological markers.
- No differences in blood urea nitrogen or serum creatinine suggest renal function was normal throughout both trials.
When Was This Idea About Caffeine Causes Dehydration Started?
This idea can be traced back to a study in 1928. However, in that study, the researchers believed that regular consumption of caffeinated drinks does not lead to chronic dehydration.
The findings of that study were confirmed by another study2 back in 2005 as The Conversation reports.
The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
There are many good reasons to continue drinking coffee especially if you love it. Love in the sense that you’re not addicted to it. Among the health benefits of drinking coffee include;
- Reduce risks of stroke and heart failure
- Longevity benefit
- Lowers prostate cancer risk
- Boosts brain health, memory and focus
- Increases dopamine level in the brain
- Decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease3
- Regular coffee consumption prevents erectile dysfunction or male sexual impotence
Final Thoughts
As long as you don’t drink too much coffee than your body can handle, coffee is a healthy habit. However, make sure you make your coffee healthy. Drinking it freshly brewed and black is the best way to do it.
On the other hand, people who can’t stand the acidic property of conventionally brewed coffee can opt for cold brew coffee. Moreover, be careful on what you’re putting in your coffee. Coffee alone is good but when you put sugar and dairy on it, you may be putting too much of it that it easily negates the benefits.
Minimize your addition of sugar and when you can, use unrefined sugar as a sweetener and use coconut oil as creamier. You can even put grass-fed butter on it as part of your ketogenic diet.