Many individuals think that because they drink tea, coffee, juice or carbonated drinks during the day they do not need to drink water, but this is really untrue. NO matter how many other things you drink, it is imperative that you also drink sufficient water throughout the day in order to remain well-hydrated and in the peak of good health.
Every cell in your body needs water to build, regenerate, and operate. While your normal water content is around 70%, the body cannot store water and loses a minimum of around 600ml per day just by sweating, urinating, crying, sneezing, breathing and other normal bodily functions. This is why you need to drink water regularly in order to maintain your hydration levels.
Regarding drinking coffee versus drinking water, some experts believe that you will not get the same amount of hydration from coffee as you will from water. In fact, coffee is actually a diuretic, which means that it actually flushes water from your body, which means that coffee actually makes you MORE dehydrated. On the other hand, other experts such as the Mayo Clinic agree that caffeinated fluids can contribute to your daily fluid requirement and that while they may have a mild diuretic effect, they do not increase the risk of dehydration.
While one does get SOME hydration from coffee, tea, juices, etc. this equates to only about 20% of your daily water requirement, and it is more this fact that any other that dictates that you should also drink plain old water at least a few times a day. Water also contains vital electrolytes that your body needs in order to function optimally.
If you are like me and drink copious cups of coffee daily because you just cannot stand the taste of tap water, then do as I did and invest in a water cooler. I probably still do not drink as much water as I should, but I sure drink more than before because the water from my mains water cooler tastes so good and is so chilled that it is the perfect refreshment on a hot day.
