Caffeine and Dehydration at He's Fit

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Caffeine and dehydration

Posted October 30, 2007 at 09:00 AM by Mark Scott

Section: His Nutrition, Healthy Eating

coffee You have likely heard before that you should try and curb your caffeine intake as much as possible so that you do not get into a state of dehydration. With recommendations for active people to always be trying to consume more fluid since they are sweating out so much when they exercise, it seems like it would only be natural to avoid putting anything into your body that was going to cause you to excrete more liquid.

But how important is it that you avoid your favourite caffeine-containing beverages?

Many people also enjoy the energy boost they get from caffeine so it becomes a bit of a toss up for them. Do they forgo the energy boost in favour of preventing dehydration? Not to mention of course the fact that so many individuals simply cannot seem to function without their morning cup of coffee.

When it comes right down to it you need to keep in mind that when you consume a beverage that contains caffeine, you are still consuming liquid. Unless you are just straight up taking caffeine pills or eating a food that contains caffeine (chocolate for example), you are going to be hydrating your body with this fluid.

So then the question becomes, does the hydration from this fluid outmatch the fluid that will be excreted from the actual caffeine in the beverage?

In most cases, yes it will. So because of this reason, you still will actually be better off consuming the beverage, caffeine and all, as far as it pertains to maintaining favourable body hydration status.

Do keep in mind however that it will slightly depend on the caffeine content of the beverage. Most coffee drinks or colas will be alright as they are not overly high in caffeine to begin with. It’s when you start taking dry caffeine (such as pill form) or very high potency beverages that you should be starting to worry.

So next time you are concerned about skipping your coffee because you might dehydrate yourself, you can rest assured that this likely isn’t the case. Besides, if you are really that worked up over it, you can easily reduce the situation even further by simply drinking 4-8 ounces of water beforehand.

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42 Responses to “Caffeine and dehydration” (Leave a reply)

Samantha Martin PHD said:

Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body.

All this fear went away when I quit, and it was a book that inspired me to do it called The Truth About Caffeine by Marina Kushner. There are five things I liked about this book:

1) It details--thoroughly--the ways in which caffeine may damage your health.

2) It reveals the damage that coffee does to the environment. Specifically, coffee was once grown in the shade, so that trees were left in place. Then sun coffee was introduced, allowing greater yields but contributing to the destruction of rain forests. I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere else.

3) It explains how best to go off coffee. This is important. If you try cold turkey, as most people probably do, the withdrawal symptoms will likely drive you right back to coffee.

4) Helped me find a great resource for the latest studies at CaffeineAwareness.org

5) Also, if you drink decaf you won’t want to miss this special free report on the dangers of decaf available at http://www.soyfee.com
November 1, 2007 at 11:46 AM
teren pretabil resedinta said:

Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout modern history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies.
March 21, 2008 at 05:09 AM
Drug Rehab from Romania said:

Coffee has negative effects on your liver so you should think twice about drinking coffee and becoming a coffee addict.
April 11, 2008 at 06:35 AM
Ada Wakeman said:

Simply drink a nice glass of water after the coffee. I have always done this, I have 3 cups of coffee spread out through the day and am constantly drinking water in between…I feel great everyday :)
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April 27, 2008 at 09:58 PM
Coffee said:

Nowadays people are thinking to avoid caffeine.For that they are trying Coffeesubstitute like hot chocolate,fruit juice etc…
February 19, 2009 at 10:19 AM
kallinah said:

My friend and I often argued about coffee and its influence on our health. He said that it is dangerous and didn’t allow me drinking it in the morning, I am fond of coffee and was looking for the facts in favor of this drink. In the long run, we both were right. In the book I’ve read ( http://www.ebook-search-queen.com/ebook/Orig/Originally+coffee+was+a+food+not+a+drink.all.html ) there’s much info about pluses and minuses of coffee. In order to come to the compromise, I drink coffee only twice a week ;)
June 16, 2009 at 03:11 AM
70-291 exam said:

In my point of you we should leave taking coffee.Most of time whenever I take coffee I always use one or a half glass water before coffee.I found this tip worked.
June 16, 2009 at 05:27 AM
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June 26, 2009 at 08:53 PM
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September 29, 2009 at 08:20 AM
Bejewled from United States said:

I don’t really think that drinking too much coffee is a good idea.
October 1, 2009 at 12:29 PM
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October 5, 2009 at 11:25 AM
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October 28, 2009 at 10:15 AM
cold coffee said:

Though coffee is not linked to cancer but it contains carcinogens and other chemicals that trigger cancer cells.
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November 7, 2009 at 05:49 AM
Sam from US said:

Extra caffeine intake will cause dehydration, this is true, my brother has experienced this.
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November 12, 2009 at 08:19 AM
finanace help said:

Many people also enjoy the energy boost they get from caffeine so it becomes a bit of enthusiasm retrench in them.
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November 12, 2009 at 02:05 PM
Carol Flint from US said:

Yes, too much caffeine will cause dehydration, that’s why we have to control our consuming of coffee. fat burning furnace
November 26, 2009 at 03:31 AM
Jim Gray from US said:

This is a good article, i think it is important to know the disadvantage of our favorite coffee.
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November 27, 2009 at 08:42 AM
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November 27, 2009 at 12:03 PM
restaurante madrid from US said:

i love taking coffee because it keeps me active during my work. But now that i knew more of the bad effects of it to the body then i think i will try to lessen my intake of coffee.
November 27, 2009 at 09:15 PM
get pregnant fast from US said:

Good articles give us more details on caffeine. I prefer tea to coffee.
November 28, 2009 at 10:40 AM
inmobiliaria madrid from Philippines said:

Taking of caffeine too much is not good to our body. Yes, caffeine have some ingredients that are bad to our body but they also have good chemicals that needs by our body.

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November 30, 2009 at 03:05 AM
life coach from India said:

Yes, I agree with you inmobiliaria madrid that taking too much caffeine is not good in our body. As what they article stated. life coach
December 1, 2009 at 02:42 AM
erezione from Philippines said:

Caffeine is a drug that is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants. It’s also produced artificially and added to certain foods. erezione
December 2, 2009 at 08:59 PM
eiaculazione precoce from India said:

Caffeine is defined as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system, causing increased alertness. eiaculazione precoce
December 2, 2009 at 09:00 PM
erezioni from US said:

Caffeine gives most people a temporary energy boost and elevates mood. erezioni
December 2, 2009 at 09:02 PM
disfunzione erettile from US said:

Caffeine is in tea, coffee, chocolate, many soft drinks, and pain relievers and other over-the-counter medications. disfunzione erettile
December 2, 2009 at 09:04 PM
Allungare il pene from Philippines said:

But most caffeinated drinks have gone through enough processing to camouflage the bitter taste. Allungare il pene
December 2, 2009 at 09:06 PM
allungamento pene from Australia said:

Teens usually get most of their caffeine from soft drinks and energy drinks. (In addition to caffeine, these also can have added sugar and artificial flavors.) allungamento pene
December 2, 2009 at 09:22 PM
Eyaculacion precoz from Philippines said:

Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it causes a person to urinate more. It’s not clear whether this causes dehydration or not. Eyaculacion precoz
December 3, 2009 at 05:13 AM
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December 6, 2009 at 06:58 AM
callejero madrid said:

Dehydration (hypohydration) is defined as excessive loss of body water. It is literally the removal of water from an object. callejero madrid
December 9, 2009 at 03:29 AM
Sperma from US said:

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug. It can have both positive and negative effects on different aspects of memory.
December 11, 2009 at 10:41 PM
Stuffed animals said:

Caffeine belongs to the xanthine chemical group. Adenosine is a naturally occurring xanthine in the brain that is used as a neurotransmitter at some synapses. Stuffed animals
December 23, 2009 at 02:52 AM
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One effect of caffeine is to interfere with adenosine at multiple sites in the brain including the reticular formation. Caffeine also acts at other sites in the body to increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels, relax air passages to improve breathing and allow some muscles to contract more easily. Convertible car seat
December 23, 2009 at 02:54 AM
Amy Flint from US said:

Does the hydration from this fluid outmatch the fluid that will be excreted from the actual caffeine in the beverage?
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December 30, 2009 at 05:37 PM
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I read the other day that coffee also prevent diabetes 2. Exclusive Local Leads
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onagra said:

I’m addicted to coffee. I take 6 a day, not who would do without the coffee
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