Don't blame your morning coffee on your dehydration
Coffee has long been blamed to cause dehydration in drinkers, owed to the fact that caffeine is a mild diuretic - but we're here to bust that health myth.
During Nutrition and Hydration Week, 17-21 March, the British Coffee Association is addressing the common misconception that because caffeine is a mild diuretic, it causes dehydration.
In fact, coffee can help with hydration, contributing to daily fluid intake. Latest findings show that caffeine, at levels consumed moderately throughout the day, is no more a diuretic than plain water. In January 2014, a Birmingham University study made national headlines because research found no evidence of a link between moderate coffee consumption and dehydration.
Sophie Killer a Doctoral researcher and lead author of the study commented: “Despite a lack of scientific evidence, it is a common belief that coffee consumption can lead to dehydration and should be avoided, or reduced, in order to maintain a healthy fluid balance. Our research aimed to establish if regular coffee consumption, under normal living conditions, is detrimental to the drinker’s hydration status.”
The British Dietetic Association and other UK expert bodies such as the British Nutrition Foundation are in agreement that moderate coffee consumption (up to four to five cups per day) can contribute to daily fluid intake and will help to keep coffee consumers alert and hydrated. Similarly, proceedings from a conference in North America advise consumers that drinking a variety of caffeinated beverages, including coffee, can contribute to meeting the body’s requirement for fluids – not surprising when it is considered that a cup of black coffee contains more than 95% water.
This advice is reflected by the British Nutrition Foundation, which recognises milk, fruit juice, tea and coffee as important fluid sources.
“Many people still wrongly believe that hot drinks, and particularly coffee, are not good for us because they are dehydrating. But in fact when you drink a cup of coffee all the water is absorbed and retained in the body adding to your hydration. There is a big difference between feeling that a drink is not as refreshing as you would like it to be and actually causing dehydration. As spring approaches and hopefully the temperature starts to rise, try an iced coffee which will be both refreshing and hydrating” highlights Dr Sarah Schenker.