Water is a healthy and cheap choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth. Plain tea, fruit tea and coffee (without added sugar) can also be healthy. If you do not like the taste of plain water, try sparkling water or add a slice of lemon or lime.
Flavonoids help prevent cell damage. Team leader, Dr Carrie Ruxton, a Public Health Nutritionist, said tea is better for you than water because all water does is rehydrate you. Tea rehydrates you and provides antioxidants. With tea you get two benefits.
While caffeine does have a slight diuretic effect, the relatively low levels in tea won't have much of an impact on hydration levels. In fact, decaffeinated tea can be counted cup for cup toward your hydration goal because it is considered just as hydrating as plain water.
If you're a regular tea drinker, you can continue drinking tea and it will contribute to your overall hydration level. It shouldn't replace water, though, especially if you're drinking more than six or seven cups of black tea per day. It's important to incorporate some water into your daily fluid intake.
A Summary of Whether Tea Counts as Water Intake
While Tea has a diuretic effect, it does not offset hydration, so there's nothing to worry about in that regard.
Though moderate intake is healthy for most people, drinking too much could lead to negative side effects, such as anxiety, headaches, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep patterns. Most people can drink 3–4 cups (710–950 ml) of tea daily without adverse effects, but some may experience side effects at lower doses.
Carrie Ruxton, a nutritionist who authored a study and survey published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that looked at the health and hydrating benefits of tea, you're not only totally fine to replace straight-up H2O with mugs of tea, it might actually be the better option for you overall.
Research shows that milk is one of the best beverages for hydration, even better than water or sports drinks. Researchers credit milk's natural electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein for its effectiveness.
Numerous studies have shown that a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even ward off cancer and heart disease. While some brews provide more health advantages than others, there's plenty of evidence that regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness.
Plain coffee or teas, sparkling water, seltzers, and flavored waters, are low-calorie choices that can be part of a healthy diet. Low-fat or fat-free milk; unsweetened, fortified milk alternatives; or 100% fruit or vegetable juice contain important nutrients such as calcium, potassium, or vitamin D.
That said, tea itself appears to have no harmful effects except for a case of the jitters if you drink too much caffeinated brew. It fits in perfectly well with a heart-healthy lifestyle. One important warning: A cup of tea contains only a couple calories.
Water is your best bet for everyday hydration, since it is free of sugar, calories, and caffeine. All of your daily food and beverages contribute to your daily fluid needs.
Juice and soda are not only less hydrating, but offer extra sugars and calories that won't fill us up as much as solid foods, explained Majumdar. If the choice is between soda and water for hydration, go with water every time.
Hydration from Drinking Lemon Water
Consequently, drinking lemon water is seen as a great way to hydrate yourself and replenish the fluids you lose throughout the day. It's arguably better than just drinking glasses of water as you get the added vitamin C, antioxidants, and citrate.
Plain water is the best way to hydrate, no second guessing necessary.
Green Tea. Green tea is often touted as the healthiest tea. It is chock full of polyphenols and antioxidants that help to boost brain and heart health. Green tea is considered one of the least processed true teas as it does not undergo oxidation.
Best for Overall Health: Green Tea
When it comes to tea, green tea gets the gold. “Green tea is the champ when it comes to offering health benefits,” says Czerwony. “It's the Swiss Army knife of teas.
Tea and coffee are acidic in nature and having them on an empty stomach can disrupt the acid-basic balance which can lead to acidity or indigestion. Tea also contains a compound called theophylline which has a dehydrating effect and might cause constipation.
The fastest way to hydrate is with an oral rehydration solution. These products are packed with electrolytes which are minerals found in your body that balance fluid levels and maintain optimal hydration. While you can hydrate fast with regular water, focus on electrolytes.
We forget to drink water.
Our lives are busy, some people will feel like they just don't have time to think about grabbing a drink. For others, they have water on their desk at work but they just forget it's there. Everyone says drink when you feel thirsty but often that feeling of thirst is mistaken for hunger.
Theophylline, a chemical substance in tea, can have a dehydrating effect on coprolite, which might also lead to constipation,” says the expert. 3. Inhibit absorption of nutrients: Tea has an element called tannin, which hampers the absorption of iron from food; caffeine can reduce the absorption of nutrients.
“Iced tea is full of oxalic acid, which, when taken in excess, deposits in your kidneys and mucks up the work of removing waste from the blood,” says Scott Youngquist, MD, an emergency physician at University of Utah Health.