What is the difference drinking coffee vs. drinking water? Can I drink coffee as part of my rehydration fluids? Is drinking coffee often during the day bad for me; do I HAVE to only drink water to replace my body fluids?
Years ago some doctor or scientist decided that everyone MUST drink an average of eight 8oz glasses of water every day in order to replace the percentage of the body’s fluids, mainly water, that is lost through the day via sweating, crying, sneezing, breathing and other means.
The human body is made up of around 70% water, and every single cell in the body needs water to build, regenerate, and operate. When we lose water and do not replace it the body becomes dehydrated and this imbalance in bodily fluids can lead to various health problems.
It only takes a loss of approximately 2% of the body’s fluids for mild dehydration to set in. Mild dehydration can cause headaches, dry mouth and eyes, dizziness, and cognitive malfunction. The more one gets dehydrated, the worse the side-effects become, including heart problems, kidney problems, bladder problems, coma, cancer, and even death!
Drinking Coffee vs. Drinking Water
The question of whether drinking coffee vs. drinking water hydrates one the same is important, as many individuals do not like the taste of water and will much rather drink coffee.
According to Christie Korth, Nutrition & Dietetics, one does not get the same amount of hydration from coffee as one does from water. She goes further to say that “…coffee is a diuretic which means it actually flushes water from the body. Ironically, coffee makes you MORE dehydrated.†According to HealthCorps, “a recent study suggests that moderate daily coffee intake does not cause dehydration and can provide hydration.â€
[Source: Sharecare]
According to another article written by Jennifer Soong, a health, wellness, and lifestyle trends writer, and reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD: “Coffee and tea also count in your tally. Many used to believe that they were dehydrating, but that myth has been debunked. The diuretic effect does not offset hydration.†[Source: WebMD]
And lastly, according to the Mayo Clinic, who I usually rely on for critical medical advice and information, “It is true that caffeinated fluids can contribute to your daily fluid requirement. Drinking caffeine-containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle doesn’t cause fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested. While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect — meaning that they may cause the need to urinate — they don’t appear to increase the risk of dehydration.†The author does go on to say that caffeinated drinks can cause insomnia and headaches and in some individuals and that drinking water is most probably the best way to keep hydrated. [Source: Mayo Clinic]
Personally, I have always been an avid coffee drinker since my early years as I always worked two jobs, one of them being in the hospitality industry where one works very long hours. Coffee was the only thing that kept me going, and I still drink more than the average person does every day. I have never had a problem with dehydration, but then I do drink a fair amount of water during the day as well.
I really hate the taste of water, so had to cultivate the habit of drinking water throughout the day. This is managed by investing in a wonderful thing called a water cooler. As I work from home, my water cooler is both an office water cooler and a home water cooler so the family and I all get good use out of it.
I invested in a plumbed-in water cooler from Living-Water; the Executive POU (point of use) water cooler, which offers a choice of cold, ambient or hot water and a ground-breaking Direct Dispense system. Being able to use the same source for my chilled, filtered, toxin-free drinking water and for my caffeine fix is a definite bonus in my books!
