“Tea is simply as hydrating as faucet water,” explains Carrie Ruxton, Ph.D., a dietitian for the Tea Advisory Panel and researcher who has studied the consequences of tea on hydration.
In actual fact, a 2011 examine performed by Ruxton in contrast the hydrating results of black tea and common water1 immediately. Within the examine, individuals got six cups of black tea to drink over the course of the day. Their hydration standing was measured and the experiment was then repeated utilizing the identical quantity of faucet water. “The outcomes confirmed no variations in hydration standing,” Ruxton tells mindbodygreen.
This mimics the findings of the Beverage Hydration Index2, which measures how a lot sure drinks trigger the physique to retain or lose fluid over 4 hours when in comparison with water. Tea is available in proper round water, in comparison with issues like espresso, which is barely (however simply barely) much less hydrating thanks partially to its increased caffeine content material. Caffeine has a diuretic impact, which means it may well trigger you to lose extra fluid via urine than you keep.
In keeping with Dana Cohen, M.D., an integrative medication practitioner and co-author of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Physique Via the New Science of Optimum Hydration, tea can rely in direction of every day fluid consumption.
As a common rule of thumb, the Academy of Diet and Dietetics3 recommends aiming for no less than 9 cups of fluid per day for girls and 13 cups per day for males. Nevertheless, in addition they observe that fluid necessities can differ relying on a protracted checklist of things, together with your age, intercourse, exercise degree, and well being standing.
Professional tip: As a substitute of sticking to a certain amount, Cohen recommends consuming sufficient fluid that you simply’re taking a toilet break each 2-3 hours to make sure you’re staying well-hydrated.
