Yahoo Lifestyle Does Coffee Hydrate You?
For most people in the U.S.—and even around the world—coffee is an integral part of daily life. Roughly 73% of American adults drink coffee every day. For many people, it’s the first beverage they have in the morning, which happens after not drinking anything the previous eight hours while they were asleep. Perhaps you are someone who likes to have a second or third cup of coffee during the day because you like the energizing buzz it gives you.
If you’re a coffee drinker, it’s important to think about whether or not coffee counts toward your hydration goals. The standard recommendation is to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Does your daily cup of joe count? Keep reading to see the verdict, straight from registered dietitians.
Does Coffee Actually Hydrate You?
“According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, coffee can be hydrating. Drinking coffee provides more fluid than we lose through urination according to research,” says Kim Shapira, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and author of This Is What You’re Really Hungry For.
Elizabeth Brown, MS, RDN, CPT, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and owner of The Kitchen Vixen, also says that coffee is hydrating. She explained that coffee is made from water, which is why it is hydrating and counts toward one’s hydration goals.
Both dietitians say that the reason why some people believe that coffee isn’t hydrating is because it’s a diuretic, which means it increases urine production and some people think that peeing more than they may normally do means they are dehydrating themselves.
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“Caffeine increases the production of urine. The recommendation is 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about four cups. Anything above 500 milligrams can have a significant diuretic effect,” Shapira says.
This highlights an important point: It means that there is a tipping point of when caffeinated coffee can work against hydration goals instead of for them. If you’re drinking more than four cups of coffee a day, you’ve reached the tipping point. However, it’s important to know that this is only in regards to caffeinated coffee. Decaf coffee won’t have the same dehydrating effect: “Decaf coffee doesn’t increase urine production,” Shapira says.
Related: If You Love Coffee a Latte, Here Are 31 Types of Coffee, From Affogato to Vienna
Can Coffee Replace Water?
Since coffee is hydrating, does this mean you can drink it instead of water? Both dietitians say it’s still important to drink water throughout the day and both reiterate the importance of not consuming more than 500 milligrams of caffeine a day.
“I still recommend drinking eight, 8-ounce glasses of water in addition to coffee,” Shapira says. “This is enough to hydrate all 100 trillion cells in our body, and each one of these cells is about 43% water.”
Caffeinated coffee impacts people differently. Some people are affected by a small amount of coffee, while others have to consume more to feel the same effects. Because of this, both dietitians say that it’s important to know the signs of consuming too much caffeinated coffee. Both dietitians say that signs you are consuming too much include feeling jittery or anxious, muscle twitching and eye twitching. Too much caffeine can also make it more difficult to fall asleep. “Excessive caffeine intake without proper additional hydration could lead to dehydration resulting in headaches, increased risk for urinary tract infections and added stress on the kidneys,” Brown says.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Connection Between Coffee and Weight Loss
Brown explains that the reason why consuming too much caffeine is dangerous is because caffeine can alter normal sodium reabsorption by the kidneys, leading to increased urination and an increased loss of fluids and reduced blood volume. “By virtue of physiology, lower blood volume causes the heart to work harder and may increase blood pressure to push the lower blood volume through the body,” Brown explains, adding that potassium levels could also decrease too low. “Potassium and sodium are essential for muscle contraction, including the pumping of the heart. Altering these electrolytes may cause heart palpitations,” she warns.
It bears repeating that this isn’t likely to happen if you are only consuming a cup or two of coffee a day. But it is a good reminder that you can’t drink coffee exclusively. Nothing can replace good old H20!
If you’re not sure if you’re hydrating properly or not, Brown recommends this tip: Check the color of your urine. “Your urine should be pale yellow or the color of straw,” she says. Any darker means you could benefit from drinking more water or other hydrating beverages.
“Although coffee has purported heart benefits by way of protective antioxidants, it does not contain any essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein or fats. Coffee is not meant to replace anything in our diets, so please make sure to follow a well-balanced diet,” Brown says, offering up one last coffee tidbit. In other words, coffee isn’t a meal replacement.
With all of this in mind, feel free to count your cup of coffee toward your hydration goals. Just don’t forget to drink some actual water too. After all, it’s in every single cell in your body!
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Sources
Kim Shapira MS, RD, author of This Is What You're Really Hungry For, leading expert in nutritional therapy and celebrity dietitian with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Human Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition
Elizabeth Brown, MS, RDN, CPT, owner of The Kitchen Vixen, registered dietitian nutritionist, certified personal trainer and certified holistic chef
