Yes, you can drink tea instead of water for hydration, as studies show caffeinated tea offers similar hydration to water for regular drinkers, while herbal teas are excellent sugar-free alternatives; however, water remains the purest hydrator, so it's best to alternate, especially during intense activity or illness, and avoid excessive sugar in your tea.
Yes, tea does count toward your daily water intake. It's mostly water with added flavor from the tea leaves. Unless you're drinking super strong, caffeinated tea in huge amounts, it hydrates you just fine. So yep, your morning tea totally counts.
Short answer: No -- tea cannot replace plain water completely. Tea contributes to daily fluid intake and offers benefits, but it also contains compounds (caffeine, tannins, some sodium in blends) and mild diuretic or physiological effects that make it an imperfect one-to-one substitute for drinking plain water.
Thankfully, though, since tea is considered to be a lower-caffeine drink (if steeping directions are followed correctly), the diuretic effect is minimal. On the whole, tea gives your body much more water than it causes your body to lose. Therefore, drinking tea helps to hydrate your body overall.
In a rare study where people drank nothing but tea for the 12 hour duration of the trial, there was no difference in hydration levels between them and the people who drank the same quantity of boiled water.
The good news is that tea – and coffee – do count towards your daily water intake. Both are made with water, so it stands to reason. But there are often question marks over tea and coffee's diuretic nature, the caffeine contained in both, and whether or not they will even dehydrate you.
Milk is more hydrating than water
The same can be said for oral rehydration solutions that are used to treat diarrhea. Those contain small amounts of sugar, as well as sodium and potassium, which can also help promote water retention in the body.
Hibiscus. You can find hibiscus in many tea blends. This flower contains potassium, an electrolyte that plays a major role in regulating fluids and hydration. It also contains antioxidants known as flavonoids that can promote overall health and skin hydration.
Drinks like fruit and vegetable juices, milk, and herbal teas can contribute to the amount of water you get each day. Even caffeinated drinks (for example, coffee, tea, and soda) can contribute to your daily water intake. A moderate amount of caffeine (200 to 300 milligrams) is not harmful for most people.
What is the fastest way to cure dehydration? Drink water. You could also try increasing your hydration with oral rehydration sachets — powders you mix in with your water.
Keep in mind that since caffeine has a diuretic effect (which can decrease hydration), teas that don't contain caffeine will hydrate you the most. For the best hydration benefits from tea, choose caffeine-free herbal teas like chamomile, mint, or hibiscus.
Symptoms of dehydration
Combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, black tea, rich in catechins (polyphenols) and theine, promotes hydration and elimination. With few or no calories (it also depends on whether you sweeten it or not!), black tea can also be used to limit snacking.
Most traditional teas, such as black, green, and oolong, contain varying levels of caffeine, which can have a mild diuretic effect. While moderate caffeine consumption is generally not detrimental to hydration, excessive intake may lead to increased urination and potential dehydration.
For everyday hydration, water is best, but for intense exercise or significant fluid loss, electrolyte drinks (like sports drinks or tablets) are superior for replenishing sodium and potassium; milk, coconut water, and even unsweetened tea/coffee also count, while natural options like chia seeds or 100% juice (in moderation) offer extra benefits. The "best" drink depends on your activity level, with plain water for normal days and electrolyte-rich drinks for strenuous activity or heat.
Eat water-rich fruits and vegetables Many fruits and vegetables have a high water content. Some of the best include berries, oranges, grapes, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, spinach and melons. Keep a container full of cut-up fruit to snack on in your fridge.
Healthy hydration is possible for most people with:
Water. Plant-based milk. Unsweetened fruit juices. Cow's milk.
Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to Mitchell and others (1945), the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.
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While tea itself isn't inherently hydrating, the water it's made with is the best source of hydration. When sipping on your well-deserved brew, it is important to note that tea usually contains caffeine, which when consumed in high quantities can have some mild diuretic effects.
Electrolyte Tea
Yes, it is generally beneficial to drink tea every day as it offers various health-promoting antioxidants and potential health benefits when consumed in moderation. Keep in mind that the many bioactive compounds found in tea may be tolerated differently depending on your body.
The surprising finding was discovered via a study that compared hydration from different beverages by analyzing fluid retention levels in the hours after drinking. Shockingly, both whole cow's milk and skim milk were found to be among the most hydrating beverages—even surpassing mineral water in some conditions.
Heart-healthy drinks (other than water)
Buoy Hydration Drops are the cleanest electrolyte supplement because they contain no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no dyes, and no fillers. The formula is made from a blend of bioavailable electrolytes and trace minerals that your body can easily absorb.