Something I learned yesterday....for the water drinkers.

I was talking to a good friend and co-worker of mine yesterday. Her doctor has her on a supervised diet because her weight was causing blood pressure issues and stuff.

But anyways, her doctor told her to stop drinking regular coffee in the mornings because the caffeine in it will dehydrate you to the point to where if you are drinking your water for the day - you are pretty much cancelling yourself out. So, all the mornings I have drank my one cup of coffee and then drinking all that water I wasn't really helping myself at all.

yes, caffiene is diruretic.

I wouldn't say you aren't helping yourself at all. When you drink caffine you just need to increase the amount of water you drink. How much water do you drink in a day?

I try to drink as least (if not more) 64 ounces a day. I grab a 1 liter bottle in the morning and I refill it midway through the day. Sometimes I will refill it again and work on a 3rd bottle.

Yikes, her doctor gave her that advice?

The diuretic effects of caffine have been greatly exaggerated.  Moderate consumption of caffeine will have negligible effects on hydration if you regularly consume enough other daily fluids to counteract it's diuretic effects.  And remember, you also get fluids from the foods you eat.

Your one cup of coffee a day is not going to hurt you. 

I hope this is true, cuz everyone needs some caffine in their life.  i drink two liters of water daily, plus I have a cup of iced coffee in the morning that I had make with splenda, and non-fat milk, as well as 1 to 2 sodas per day........I think as long as you drink enough water you are fine, but I could be wrong.

Do a little research on your own and make up your own mind about whether or not you want to continue drinking caffiene.  You're going to find both camps here on this website i'm sure, so do a little google research, find some legitimate educational and medical sites that have done their own tests and research and make your own decision.

Just google "caffeine as a diuretic" and go from there.  Make sure you look at legitimate sites though, stay away from ones that are trying to sell you something or ones that look like personal blogs and independantly owned personal sites.  Look for medical and educational sites.

Good luck and have fun with it! :)

I don't think that one cup of coffee can dehydrate a person that much. I have a cup every morning and drink throughout the day and my hydration seems to be fine. If a person was only drinking coffee and no water after the fact, that'd be a different story. 

 

Just my two cents though.

Its easy really.  If your pee is pretty clear...your hydrated.  Unless its from booze of course!!!!

 The diuretic effect of caffeine appears to be one of those things that "everyone knows" that just isn't so.

 At least the sources I looked up just now agree on that - I swear I've seen a Journal of Sports Science study around somewhere that showed that for habitual coffee drinkers there was zero net effect at the level you're used to, but now I can't find the reference.

 Anyway, 2-3 cups a day won't affect you at all, and the solution if you drink more is easy - just have another glass of water.

melkor, I read something just this morning that said your body adapts to the amount of caffeine you regularly drink, so in essence it would have very little of the diuretic effects.  I can't remember where it was either.

Sandykat and melcor, because I was curious, I researched about a month ago when I got on this health kick, and I swear I saw something to this effect in my research.

Whatever, I'm not going to make my life a prison so I can't loose weight.  I love soda, and I Love coffee...at least I'm not loading in the teaspons of sugar like I was before, and am drinking artificial sweetner.  I know it's bad for you, but it's better probably than real sugar.

And most of my beverage intake comes from the 2 liters of water I've started drinking everyday.  should I really worry that much about a little caffiene and splenda?

Maybe she just heard the doctor wrong. I have read both good and bad effects of caffeine, but I am convinced now that my one cup of regular coffee in the morning will not hurt me in any way, shape, or form. I find that if I have my cup in the morning - I have more energy and I can concentrate on my work better. Besides that, I tried to drink the decaf coffee which is a Starbuck's brand and I did not like it at all! It was way to strong tasting for me.

mahogany, I think that's a healthy way to look at it.  Moderation is key, if you're not going overboard with any of it then it's perfectly all right, imo. 

As for the Splenda, I don't really have an opinion about artificial sweeteners one way or another.  I sometimes use them, but in general I think real sugar is not evil and can fit into a healthy diet just fine.   

One thing I like about the artificial sweetners is that I have found it takes less Sweet N'Low than sugar to make my coffee sweeter. I used to try to use sugar and would put like 4 packets and still not think it is sweet enough. I can put one packet of Sweet N' Low in my coffee and it is perfect. Not to sweet but sweet enough that I can taste it. You know? With the Weight Watchers, you can have a cup of coffee with one non-dairy creamer and one Sweet N' Low and it is still no points. If you add anything else you are looking at adding a point for just your coffee.

Thats  true about sweetner over sugar.  Even not on a diet, I dont have the patience to put all that sugar in - especially iced tea in restaurants where it settles in the bottom of you glass after repeated stirs.

I like agana's point - keep it "clear".  Ive always run low on fluids although switching to crystal light, diet or no diet, has helped much. 

No offense to sad doctor but I think doctors grasp onto certain bits of info like we do especially from their own personal experience with patience so Im sure they can vary on things.  I hate water and a doctor said dont worry, just drink plenty of the liquids you do drink.  Liked him :D. 

I find that happens with me sometimes too, crazygal.  I wonder though, if it's because i've gotten so accustomed to the extra-super sweetness of the artificial sweetner that regular sugar isn't enough anymore.

I've been trying to wean myself off the sweetener slowly but I do still like it in my iced and hot tea.

Part of it to might be because her blood pressure issues he is wanting her to also limit her caffine intake. I know I don't drink nearly enough water and drink a ton of caffine and I don't have issues with dehydration....of course I have been drinking a ton of caffine for 15 years.

Either way, I have decided that I would just limit my amount of caffeine. I stick to the one cup a day of the coffee and nothing else I drink has caffeine in it. To tell you the the truth - I drink so much water that I don't think there is enough room left in my stomach for any other fluid! I am trying to stick to water alone and when I get absolutely sick of just water then I will add some crystal light to it. That way I am still getting my water but I am tricking my taste buds! Thanks for everyone's feedback though - it is all helpful. And you are right, alyssandra, the caffeine thing for her could very well be related to her blood pressure issues.

I drink at least 10 cups of coffee every morning before work.  I switch to decaf drinks the rest of the day and drink water when I workout - usually about 96 oz of water a day I've never had my dr say I wasn't getting enough water and he's never said to quit drinking coffee. 

My husband doesn't drink 1/2 the fluids I do and he has been told he drinks too much water so what works for one person may not be right for another.  My husband has diabetes and low blood sodium.  I'm in excellent health.  

I'd say if you are replacing the cafeine with uncaffienated drinks you should be fine. 

Yep...the coffee comment the doctor made was in reference to the high blood pressure.  Caffeine raises blood pressure. 

 

Your friend should get a home bp monitor...(wal-mart)  I have one after a high reading at the doc's, but when I do my pressure at home it's below normal ranges...like 116/ 67.  Once she has one all she has to do is take it to the doctor the first time to see if the monitor gives an approximately similar reading that the doctors office gives to make sure that it is accurate.

That way she can rule out white coat hypertension.