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Caffeine and Dehydration: Myth or Fact?

divinecaroline.com — It has long been thought that coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages are dehydrating and don ’t count toward your daily fluid intake. Most of us know that caffeine is a diuretic (it makes us have to go pee), but does it deplete our bodily fluids?

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  • CalmBlueOcean, on 04/14/2008, -3/+29I think there's an inherent human desire to seek out or play up the 'vice' and consequence of caffeine. I love that studies looking for faults more often find benefits.
  • Motivaaator, on 04/14/2008, -4/+70Coffee is the nectar of the gods. Chocolate isn't bad either.
    • pinkcherry, on 04/14/2008, -2/+8There is actually no caffeine in Chocolate. It contains a similar substance called Theobromine ;)
      • elliotys, on 04/14/2008, -1/+4Good call, they both act at the same receptor (adenosine) and both belong to a class of molecules called Methyl Xanthines. I have heard the theobromide is actually what makes chocolate poisonous to dogs, which makes me wonder if caffeine is also poisonous for dogs.
        • stonebear, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1A quick Google indicates that is indeed the case; they have trouble metabolizing methyl xanthines in general. That said, my sister has several Pomeranians who frequently manage to get chocolates away from the kids, and they have yet to show any sickness from it. Maybe Pomeranians have evolved an enhanced ability to metabolize such substances after two hundred years of stealing bon-bons off the laps of fine ladies.
      • Muncher, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Correction, there is actually *not much* caffeine in chocolate: http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition/caffeine.asp
    • stonebear, on 04/14/2008, -0/+3What a coincidence; I just sat down at my desk with a cup of coffee (flavored with highly recommended Carnation Italian Sweet Cream) and a Hershey's whole bean candy bar. I must be in heaven!
      • stabbingkittens, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2Australia is Hershey-free. My old lady brought some back from the States, which is downright cruel. Our Cappuccinos are different too; its basically a flat white with a bit of foam on top. I think you blokes call it a 'wet cap'.
        • goldfishey, on 04/14/2008, -1/+4Ive seen a few places in sydney that sold hershey's - but you have to look hard - and its not even close to the full range.
        • stonebear, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Yes, but you get Vegemite. :^D
    • Manuelmty, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1i thought beer was the nectar of the gods
  • NegativeIon, on 04/14/2008, -10/+4Rastafarians aren't allowed to have caffeine... isn't that bizarre?
    • FarmPunk, on 04/14/2008, -3/+11???
    • 1aaaa, on 04/14/2008, -1/+4Are Mormons Rastafarians in disguise?
      • mayavada, on 04/14/2008, -1/+2The reasoning is similar to Seventh-Day Adventists. Pure and wholesome diet. Rastafarians are kind of a cult, and the beliefs/rules are harsh and very Old Testament. A little contrary to general public perception as mellow stoned people.
    • Necoras, on 04/14/2008, -0/+19Pastafarians on the other hand must consume ungodly (unnoodly?) amounts of the stuff.
    • borez, on 04/14/2008, -1/+1Because Haile Selassie couldn't get his head around an espresso machine?
  • SergioValente, on 04/14/2008, -9/+57wouldn't give up caffeine even if i was told it would kill me.
    • rockrapdude, on 04/14/2008, -2/+13Actually it protects your brain. Another win for coffee!
    • SLockhart, on 04/15/2008, -3/+1Wow, it takes a lot of guts to admit that you are not in control of yourself.
    • choppergirl, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Caffiene will kill you, if you eat enough of it. Caffeine is a poison, given off by the cocoa plant in its leaves. The leaves fall to the ground, decompose,and make the soil toxic for its competitors. Eventually the soil is so toxic even the cocoa plant won't grow. You feel energized temporarily when you consume it, because your body has just injested a poison, and is going into fight/flight response mode because it doesn't know what else to do when poisoned. Caffeine will kill a dog, kills many insects, and in India they use it as an insecticide.

      http://youtube.com/watch?v=LNBGyf8FNEY
      http://youtube.com/watch?v=sHuNNV4UcPA

      If you don't believe me, or any of the videos, go to a grocery store, and buy yourself a couple of 2 liter bottles of Dr. Thunder (Walmart), Moutain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Redbull, Jolt, Coke, or Pepsi. Consume a bottle of 2 liters in one after noon and observe what effects it has on you. At first you are energized, then as you drink more, you become edgy, hostile, violent, and then nervous... you can get a lot of 'busy work' done, such as cleaning... but your thoughts race, and it is impossible to do work were concentration is required... write a term paper, a poem, short story, etc.
      • FLarsen, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1The body doesn't try to fight caffeine. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, that's why you get energized.
    • FLarsen, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1And btw.: Oxygen is also a poison, but that doesn't mean it's bad for us _in moderation_.

      This was a reply to choppergirl. (Digg fixed comments ... my ass)
  • MrFancy, on 04/14/2008, -4/+20it is mostly water.
    • Rotzooi, on 04/14/2008, -1/+23That's my excuse when downing shots of JB before 9am.
    • vornan19, on 04/14/2008, -0/+4Phfft, your brew!
  • R34L99, on 04/14/2008, -5/+3Make mine a double espresso - can't live without it
    • edwartica, on 04/14/2008, -0/+5That's actually not a whole lot of caffeine there.
    • SLockhart, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1Do you really want to admit to being so dependent?
  • alexgeorge52, on 04/14/2008, -2/+13Good or Bad, coffee is one thing im willing to risk.
  • DeskFlyer, on 04/14/2008, -2/+28Wars have been started over the lack of caffeine.
    • Bajayjay, on 04/14/2008, -2/+52Every damn morning in my household.
  • meshman, on 04/14/2008, -8/+51Short answer: "Moderate caffeine consumption won’t dehydrate you and can actually help you reach your overall daily fluid intake."

    That's all the article had to say. One sentence.
    • satanatnmtedu, on 04/14/2008, -0/+6Right. MODERATE. But, what is moderate? I would say 5+ cups a day is not moderate. So, a certain class of people would be dehydrated. And, if all you drink is coffee, then you are not better off.
  • JulieBrownfield, on 04/14/2008, -4/+3I always thought it did dehydrate you. But what's with the benefits? Now we can say it helps us train ourselves to use fluid more efficiently.
  • Odenized, on 04/14/2008, -5/+6I'm pretty sure they are natural diuretics. Personal experience and word from others are fairly good indicators.
    • diggdat, on 04/14/2008, -1/+5No question it makes you have to go... but when you go, does to remove more from you, than the fluid you added, when you drank it.

      They have been saying similar things about about tea lately. That tea, while caffeinated, also does not dehydrate.

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5281046.stm

  • 1aaaa, on 04/14/2008, -14/+9LEAVE COFFEE ALONEEEEE!!!!!! PLEASEEEEEEE!!!!! WHYYYYY!????
    • TRScheel, on 04/14/2008, -0/+14I think you've had a little too much coffee
    • tomgsmyth, on 04/14/2008, -1/+5okay chris crocker i think its time for you to leave the internet alone....oh yeah... i got it
    • tensvb, on 04/14/2008, -0/+3or a little to much youtube
  • cerealjynx, on 04/14/2008, -5/+35Caffeine is bad for you=Fact
    Caffeine is the best thing ever=Also fact.
    • obijohn, on 04/14/2008, -1/+18This applies to most of the "-ine" words. Nicotine. Codeine. Heroine. Guillotine.
      • zaii7, on 04/14/2008, -0/+7saline. pristine. justine.
      • StarlessKnight, on 04/14/2008, -0/+10One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong...
      • Jereso, on 04/14/2008, -0/+4Morphine!
      • Androne, on 04/14/2008, -1/+7the way I think of it if caffeine takes 2-3 years off my life I'll probably be awake for about 5 years so in reality caffeine increases your life span?
      • amtrakattack, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2Technically, it's "heroin."
        • wrathbone, on 04/14/2008, -0/+6Unless you're referring to the lifesucking bitches in capes.

          Those are terrible for you.
    • elliotys, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3One word. Moderation.
  • markp93, on 04/14/2008, -4/+41It's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes.
    • timmyrich, on 04/14/2008, -0/+6I was wondering if anyone else had seen that. Its hilarious
      • zaii7, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3more electrolytes than your body has room for!!!!#!$$
    • ep53, on 04/15/2008, -0/+2Idiocracy is an awesome film...
  • InvaderDem, on 04/14/2008, -3/+2Nice - so the five plus cups I drink a day won't harm me, just make me super wired.
  • leerayIG88, on 04/14/2008, -8/+13Who needs caffeine? Cocaine gets the minds rolling.
    • borez, on 04/14/2008, -7/+6+ kills every relationship you'll ever have, turns you into an idiot, takes ten years off your life and leaves you penniless.

      Believe me mate... I know.
      • borez, on 04/14/2008, -5/+3Digg me down, I care not but believe me I know cocaine way better then you do.

        Read my blog if you think otherwise

        http://londoncokehead.blogspot.com

        Idiots do cocaine and I'm one of them.
      • moneyswears, on 04/15/2008, -0/+3Wow borez, you're pretty hardcore. You're among that elite tenth of the population who has done streesh, congratulations. Also, cocaine itself isn't actually physically addictive like the opiates for example. You fell to psychological addiction because you're weak, while most people who do it lead ordinary lives. We're your doctors, lawyers, teachers, policemen, and of course musicians.
    • elektriknoizz, on 04/14/2008, -1/+5Remember how cocaine was in Coca-Cola way back when? Sometimes I wonder if, in the future, people will find out that caffeine is a dangerous drug, and we'll all be viewed as blithering idiots for drinking it.
  • jdames1980, on 04/14/2008, -2/+14If it really dehydrated you a lot of people would be dead!!
    • phoenixx, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1...myself included :P
    • 80hd, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2though after a few cups of 'foglifter' your piss is a nice shade of orange and smells like a damn bean mill.....
  • hayzeus, on 04/14/2008, -10/+5Hah -- more Nanny-State enviro-vegans trying to take away our coffee. Our guns are next -- mark my words.
    No, I didn't read the article, but no one else does, so why should I bother? Reading's so much trouble anyway -- and what if I forgot to comment after reading the article? Besides, I like my opinions to come out al-fresco, untainted by actual thought or reason.
  • Harabeck, on 04/14/2008, -4/+1Ive always heard it was carbonation that dehydrated you through some deep voodoo, not caffeine.
    • mtekk, on 04/14/2008, -0/+3The carbonation 'eats' away at your bones. In all honesty, the vast amounts of sugar in drinks are much worse for you than the caffeine.
      • xptoast, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1HFS makes me upset. Why cant we just pay a little more for the higher quality taste of cane sugar?
        • mtekk, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1You can, there are several companies that produce soda with pure cane sugar instead of HFS, you just need to read the label.
  • darkhero, on 04/14/2008, -3/+23I stopped drinking soda because my doctor told me it dehydrates your body. That lying bitch. I haven't tasted Mountain Dew for a year.
    • bluesnowmonkey, on 04/14/2008, -0/+25On the plus side, you're probably not as fat now.
    • web2pointYo, on 04/14/2008, -0/+12how did you get through the x-games without a Mountain Dew?
    • Necoras, on 04/14/2008, -1/+9Soda's a bit different from coffee. Soda has huge amounts of sugar and sometimes a bit of salt (listed as electrolytes). The carbonation hurts too. These will dry you out just like saltwater. That being said, decarbonated (flat) coke is one of the best things in the middle of a marathon. The sugar boost helps push you that final few miles.
    • sloonark, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1You do know that Mountain Dew is carbonated goat pee?
  • dienaked, on 04/14/2008, -1/+5People didn't know this? I thought this was settled a long time ago.
  • MasterThief117, on 04/14/2008, -1/+2Gah, please don't mention caffeine. I am going through withdrawal.
    • hayzeus, on 04/14/2008, -1/+5caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine
      caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine
      caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine
      caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine
      caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine caffeine
    • BrainInAJar, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3So stop going through withdrawl...

      what, don't have a starbucks around you? I find that highly unlikely
  • yikiad, on 04/14/2008, -1/+4i'll i'll digg this and read it after i drink my coffee and take a piss...
  • cyks, on 04/14/2008, -7/+1Caffeine is a diuretic.
    Try playing some fast paced sport and getting by with just coffee, you will simply crash.
    • hayzeus, on 04/14/2008, -1/+12It's pretty common for jai-alai players to get by with nothing but hot coffee for hours on end during a match. The same is true for unicycle hockey and many other obscure sports that you can't easily get enough information on to determine whether I'm just totally lying or not.
  • loftbunny, on 04/14/2008, -6/+0Why don't they make coffee flavored water for those that don't want the caffeine of normal coffee or the chemicals in decaf? Taste is key.
    • ncdave101, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2You've never made coffee, have you?
    • BrainInAJar, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2The common chemical used in decaffination ( methyl chloride ) boils at 104F. Even without roasting, coffee is brewed at 190 - 210F ( if you do it right ) or at least 160 - 170F ( if your coffee maker is cheap and ***** ).

      And add to that the fact that coffee is roasted at about 400 - 500F , any remnants of the chemical is long gone.

      If you're still worried about it, there are some swiss water decafs that aren't bad either, no chemicals used in the process at all, just water.

      check espressomap.com for a decent roaster in your area, and go find some tasty decaf.
      • DarkPrince11, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1There's a site for everything these days.
  • hookai, on 04/14/2008, -3/+2dugg for diuretic drivel
    • Nekiruhs, on 04/14/2008, -2/+1Alliteration always annoys.
      • noumuon, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1your attempt was full of epic fail. alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds.
  • adequateftw, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3Does this mean I can stop keeping away from coffee while hung-over? Wohoo!
  • br0wnstar, on 04/14/2008, -3/+9I refuse to change my opinions on any issue if a 'report' is on a site known as 'divine caroline'
    • sgtpppr, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1That site is becoming the new Cracked. I see an article from there on digg multiple times a week.
      • hayzeus, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1Yep -- I detect the acrid stink of Shenanigans.
  • LogicBomB, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3I don't care about "counting as daily intake". I want to know if I can have my ***** coffee during a massive hangover without making the water problem worse!
  • PolymathicMan, on 04/14/2008, -8/+3Coffee smells good, tastes bad.
    • edwartica, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1heretic!
    • BrainInAJar, on 04/14/2008, -1/+1no, ***** coffee tastes bad

      I highly recommend you find a coffeeshop near your home here: espressomap.com and go order a cup
  • enzymeluv, on 04/14/2008, -5/+3caffeine is a drug. Like all legal and illegal drugs, it should be used with caution. For me, its the acidic pH of poor coffee seems to be the biggest issue. Yet, going back to caffeine and dehydration, who's to say? If you feel thirsty after drinking coffee, then it must be. All things in moderation, they say. What might be medicine for one, might be another's poison.
  • benonymous, on 04/14/2008, -2/+6I personally asked my doctor and he said that it's fine and doesn't dehydrate you. If it did everybody that drinks it would feel hung over every day.
    • KMartSheriff, on 04/14/2008, -0/+2Good enough for me. Coffee anyone?
  • TonyTheTerrible, on 04/14/2008, -2/+9"Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."
  • ChuckIT, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3thank god this came out, because i know this girl that will not drink coffee after a night of drinking because she says it will dehydrate you. This story is ending up in her inbox.
    • SteveHoltAD, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1your lying.. you dont know a girl
  • borez, on 04/14/2008, -2/+1What about tea then?
  • adrenaline33, on 04/14/2008, -1/+1Even if it did, just drink more water
  • xaeon, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3I didn't think anyone with the slightest knowledge of science really ever did think that coffee dehydrated you. The amount of water it contains (and the amount of hydration you receive) is far far far greater than the amount lost by the (questionable) diuretic qualities of caffeine
  • robertc1964, on 04/14/2008, -2/+1Obviously, it can't be true otherwise the millions of people who drink nothing but caffeinated beverages day after day would all die of dehydration.
  • sigg14, on 04/14/2008, -2/+5coffee a diuretic ? what the hell does scientology have to do with coffee ?
    • NightChips, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1Because coffee is the urine of the great lord Xenu
  • OutThisLife, on 04/14/2008, -4/+1Everytime I get to drink soda it feels as if I'm taking heroin. It feels so very, very good. I can't drink it all the time because I'm currently staying at a friends house, who happens to dislike soda. The only bad thing about soda is it ***** w/ your teeth.
    • irgeorge, on 04/14/2008, -1/+7I don't think you know what it feels like to take heroin.
      • OutThisLife, on 04/15/2008, -1/+1Imagery. Go on, explain to me what it feels like.
  • dmark77, on 04/14/2008, -4/+1I don't believe I drank water from ages 19-25. I recall having a minimum of a 2 liter bottle of coke on hand, but don't recall buying water/juice/non-soda drinkables.

    I drink a lot of water now, and the one thing I have noticed is that caffeine kept me warm during winter.
  • mjs814, on 04/14/2008, -2/+0A sample of only 18 people is not large enough to get accurate and consistent results. Statistically you should have at least 30 people for a sample study.
    • l815, on 04/14/2008, -0/+0What about the millions of people who drink it everyday? There has to be a good amount of controlled subjects out there (people with the same drinking routine)
  • l815, on 04/14/2008, -1/+0Coffee is just too good. Too much sugar though gives me a thirty feeling XD
  • writimagination, on 04/14/2008, -3/+0"The more regular your caffeine habit, the more fluid your body is conditioned to retain."

    This seems counter productive. You don't want your body to retain a lot of water. You want it to have plenty of water so that your kidneys don't have to offload it's work to the liver, but you don't want to retain so much that you aren't moving fat deposits out of your body. Rather than drink lots of coffee or soda and accept that your body is retaining enough hydration from the water contained in these beverages, you should be drinking water very regularly throughout the day to keep a good flow through your body and keeping your kidney's working at full capacity so that your liver doesn't have to pick up the pace, because the liver is what metabolizes stored body fat.

    I don't think drinking a little caffeine regularly is a bad thing, as this article says, but it understates the importance of drinking lots of water throughout the day. Most will read this and feel more encouraged to drink caffeinated beverages but not water.

    Also, make note that this article is speaking most specifically about coffee. Carbonated caffeine and energy drinks have far more detrimental aspects to them than the caffeine they contain.
    • noumuon, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1there's actually not much wrong with quite a few energy drinks. most are just amino acids, vitamins, sugar and caffeine.
  • jnava121, on 04/14/2008, -6/+0I saw this on the internet , therefore it must be true. Too bad you get alot of your necessary water intake from food. Morons , drink coffee for 3 days straight nothing else see how long you last ! hahah....... oh yeah go run or something too in the mean time.


    I saw on southpark this was true too:
    "Did Father Maxi, at any time, ever try to put something in your butt?" Cartman has a "brilliant" idea, reasoning what she meant was that it could be possible that eating food through the rectum can cause defecation through the mouth!!!

    Brilliant!!
    • RevEng, on 04/14/2008, -0/+1Point proven -- many people here will vouch for drinking only pop/coffee for days or weeks on end. Healthy? Unlikely. Dehydrating? Well, they aren't dead yet.
  • HanSolo69, on 04/14/2008, -1/+1Is Divine Caroline completely irrelevant? Read this article, or any other, and find out. Or just know that the answer is a solid and resounding "yes".
  • mogebier, on 04/14/2008, -2/+2Is a whole pot of coffee and an energy drink and a few soda's a day considered "moderate"???
  • elliotys, on 04/14/2008, -2/+1Caffeines laxative effect is much more powerful for me. We're talking blowout.
  • musicme1, on 04/14/2008, -1/+0 That's why you should drink more water, after you drink something with caffeine in it.
  • byah, on 04/14/2008, -1/+3you know something...I'll ALSO have a Samuel Jackson
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