Does caffeine dehydrate your body?!


Question: We have a debate about fluid intake versus hydration . I said beverages containing caffeine my count toward fluid intake but not toward hydration...


Answers: We have a debate about fluid intake versus hydration . I said beverages containing caffeine my count toward fluid intake but not toward hydration...

Hi

You are absolutely right. Caffeine on the long run does dehydrate the body. No one should count caffeinated beverages into daily fluid intake.

Best Wishes,

Adam & Elizabeth
Personal Wellness Coach
http://www.AmazingDiet.com

Yes, caffeine has a mild diuretic effect.

the end goal of fluid intake is hydration so in my mind the two can not be separated and therefore beverages containing caffeine do not count for anything.

About half and half. Caffeine is a diuretic, so it will cause you to lose water.

But would that be true of ALL caffeinated beverages? I mean, sure, coffee has a strong diuretic effect. But Coke and such I think does still hydrate you, because it has much less caffeine so the diuretic effect is not as great. I thought marathoners and cyclists drank flat cola often while running/biking, for that very reason--has lots of carbs, has caffeine for energy, but not too diuretic.

Caffeine dehydrates your body, as does carbonation in pop. Water or drinks specifically designed to hydrate you are the best options.

Drinks that contain caffeine almost always also contain sodium (salt), so yes, it does dehydrate. It is not the caffeine itself that dehydrates you as much as the sodium etc. Caffeine in and of itself is know as a diuretic. A diuretic is something (usually a drug) that causes your kidneys to produce more urine. That's why coffee makes you have to pee a lot. Then again, drinking a lot of water makes you have to pee a lot, too.

To help you with your debate, you should be well versed on the fact that caffeine is a diuretic.

Also, you should look up the sodium content verses the caffeine content in some popular drinks like Coke or Pepsi. You can prove that the amount of sodium in the drinks is the contributing factor in the dehydration, not the caffeine.





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