Can I count green tea as part of my water intake?

[MollyJane4]

I don't drink a lot of water but find I can sip on hot green tea all day - no problem.  Hence my question... Can I count green tea as part of my water intake?

[gerrymcd · Accepted solution]

Green tea is almost 100% water, so in one sense it counts.  But, like coffee its a diuretic (how much depends on brand/type of tea).  So in that regard there is some downside to drinking mostly tea, rather than some tea, some water.  But, then again, I'm not sure I understand the generally obsession with drinking so much water.  I think most people that are conscious of how much water they are drinking already get an adequate amount from their diet!  

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@MollyJane4 wrote:

I don't drink a lot of water but find I can sip on hot green tea all day - no problem.  Hence my question... Can I count green tea as part of my water intake?

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[Odyssey13]

This thread had an interesting post by SpikedHolly.

I count any liquid - water, milk, juice, tea.

[RobinNJ]

I had wondered about that myself, what I do is if the tea is decaf then I log as water if it isn't then I don't. I figure since I do drink a lot of water anyway it all balances out in the end (I hope)

[farfromhome2003]

I would NEVER think of green tea as a replacement for water.  Water re-hydrates your body.  While green tea (plain, unsweetened, NOT Arizona green tea) can be good for your body...there is NO replacement for water.  If you're struggling with your water intake try seltzer water that has ZERO sodium.  

[dumonster]

Just my two cents, but current medical research indicates that the diuretic characteristic of tea and coffee does not offset their ability to hydrate, so based upon that I will count my coffee.

[cmatzes]

Personally I do not count anything other than water, but I use a large 24 oz. cup and take it everywhere I go so constantly having water on me makes it easier to reach my water goals.

[Naomi94]

yes, you certainly can. 

Plus, you get the added benefit of the antioxidants it provides. 

[Rich_Laue]

Studies have shown that the water in coffee and tea does indeed hydrate you.

As for as the X amount of cups of water a day you need, that is a little misleading

Most of what we eat contains water fruits, vegatables, pasta, rice,  oatmeal, bread, even a lot of meat. All of this goes into our daily water intake, and they recomend that 20% of our water should come from what we eat.

Lettuce is 95%, broccali is 91% water

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/wonders-of-water

[leear]

It may come a a shock to most people but the amount of water we each consume is around 3,500 liters a day. This is used in us, our food production and our lifestyle. The requirement that we personally need to consume X amount of water (eg. 2 liters), is based on getting most of it from our food. (See the information below on products, consumer perception and water content.). However, diuretics, activity, weather and illness can make an imbalance. The average person can not consume too much water and a good measure of consumption is the colour, odor, and dare I say, taste, if you're in to that sort of thing. You may like to see this video and do the survey on you pee http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/video/body-check/body-check-urine/ Product, Consumer perception and Estimated water content Crisp bread Very crisp 5% Rice wheels Crisp 6% Cornflakes Crisp 5% Mealmates Crisp 8% Freeze dried berries (as in Hubbards Berry Berry Nice) Very crisp and dry 2% Wine biscuits Soft but not soggy 15% Muesli bars Soft and chewy 20% Dried pears Soft but not sticky 15% Jam Thick and moist 80% Cake Moist but not soggy or crumbly 40% White bread Soft and not dry 50% Vogel style bread Soft and slightly moist 50% Parmesan Hard and dry 20% Cheddar cheese Soft and not dry 35% Ham Soft but not wet 20% Defrosted frozen peas Moist and soft 60% Cream cheese Creamy 70% Ice cream Frozen but not icy 75% Iceblock Frozen and icy 90%

[tallson]

'Green tea is a diuretic.' You say that like it is a bad thing. Plain tap water is also a diuretic, anything that produces urine is a diuretic. I think it's important to stay hydrated. I sometimes get very dry especially in the winter, sleeping in a central heat/air house. My routine always includes drinking a glass of tap water, before bed, any bathroom visit during the night and on waking. During the waking hours hot or cold tea/coffee are fine.

[Javajoba]

I drink a lot of weak tea, (brewed for a about 10 to 30 seconds depending on the tea) so I consider it as water. I don't like the tannins which gives a tartness and maybe even a dry month.

So you decide, does the tea dry your month?   

[Rich_Laue]

For hydration monitoring your better off to watch the color of the urine. Yes we all know that water hydrates, but how about soups, stews, juice, meats, vegatables, and even soda has water in it that the body will use. 

The more dehydrated a body is, the more the body will conserve the water. This results in a higher concentration of waste making the urine a deeper yellow color. 

 http://dripdrop.com/chart-dehydrated/

[gerrymcd]

Urine color can be influenced by factors other than dehydration, for example taking multivitamins containing B vitamins, or eating a lot of beta carotene containing fruit/veg....or rhubarb...or antibiotics...or fava beans.  I don't think its uncommon for people to take multivitamins everyday and then try and hydrate until their urine is clear, mistakenely thinking they are dehydrated.

[DanielleinDC]

I take a multivitamin with B vitamins, and it makes my pee look like I dropped a highlighter pen in the toilet. But later in the day, my pee is a fainter yellow, so that must mean good hydration.

The lighter your pee is, the more hydrated you are.

[CHRISARL]

That's exactly why  I was asking. Plus green tea helps regulate blood sugar if you are diabetic. I know I  get an average of 68 + daily

[CHRISARL]

LOL, but be aware of B Vitamins and bright yellow urine

[Rich_Laue]

The biggest issue with tea is the Fluoride. 

Water is also found in juice, milk, coffee, soda (sugar may not be good, but the body can still use the water), veggies, and even meat. All liquid counts. 

[CHRISARL]

I didn't realize there was fluoride in the tea. I live I B.C. so regardless if I just drink filtered water or tea there is probably some water treatment. Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2

[Rich_Laue]

Fluoride is found in the ground which then gets brought up into the plant where it gets stored. Younger leaves have less fluoride. In general the amount is nothing to worry about but if your water company adds fluoride one should be aware that tea also has some.