I've been a nuisance to those around me since I listened to this Life Kit episode about hydration myths. What can I say? Hearing experts refute things I’ve believed for my entire life felt… historic. Thus, practically everyone who has talked to me in the last few months has learned that, um, actually, coffee isn’t a diuretic, thank you very much.
I usually don’t add in those moments that coffee isn’t a diuretic if you have some caffeine tolerance and consume it in moderation. (The caveats mess with my delivery).
Maybe you've heard other claims about hydration, like you should drink eight glasses of water a day or that drinking water can help you lose weight. We talked with several experts to help us set the record straight.
🥤 Myth #1: You must drink at least eight glasses of water daily. Researchers tried to verify the eight glasses of eight-ounce water rule but could not find rigorous evidence to support it. The amount of water you need depends on your body size, activity level, the temperature and how much you're sweating, says Tamara Hew-Butler, an associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State University.
Because of these factors, there's no hard and fast rule for how much water you should consume. "The best advice is to listen to your body," Hew-Butler says. "If you get thirsty, drink water. If you're not thirsty, you don't need to drink water."
☕ Myth #2: Caffeine makes you dehydrated. Essentially, with the exception of higher alcohol-content beverages like hard liquor, all liquids count towards hydration. As does food. The experts we spoke to say about 20% of your fluid intake comes from the food you eat, from fruits and vegetables to pasta.
According to multiplestudies, caffeine can be a mild diuretic in large amounts for people who don’t consume it often. But caffeinated drinks in moderation provide the same hydration as non-caffeinated drinks.
🏃🏻♀️ Myth #3: We need sports drinks to replace salt and other electrolytes. According to the experts, if you're exercising for more than an hour, you likely need to replace the salt you're sweating out with water. But you don't have to do that by drinking sports drinks like Gatorade. They definitely can replace the body's salt, but you could also get that salt from other foods and beverages. And like thirst, you can trust your body to tell you how much you need.
📏 Myth #4: Drinking water can help you lose weight. Some small studies have found that drinking water before meals can help certain groups of people lose weight. The idea is that water makes your stomach feel full, and therefore, you eat less.
However, there are many conflicting studies on this topic, and when scientists looked at papers on this subject in a systematic review, they concluded that there's just not enough evidence for the general public.
However! Studies have shown that drinking water can help with weight loss if it's replacing sugary beverages like soda, sweet juices and sports drinks.
🎨 Myth #5: Dark-colored pee means you're dehydrated. Just because your urine is dark gold, says Hew-Butler, it doesn't mean your body is dehydrated. It just means your kidneys aren't releasing as much water to keep your blood's water-sodium level balanced.
That said, if you're not great at paying attention to your thirst, some hydration experts recommend drinking enough water to keep your urine a light, straw-yellow color — a simple way to assess hydration.
There you have it. I can’t wait for you to put this hydration knowledge to use (and maybe infodump on your friends and family).
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