Many questions have been raised around tea and its effects on the body. Does tea dehydrate due to its caffeine content? Or does it hydrate, and better than water? What is truth and what is fiction? We will try to answer these questions.
Tea - a product known the world over
Tea is a phenomenon all over the world. No matter what corner of the world you go to, people drink tea and in many ways. Some of the most popular teas are green tea, black tea and fruit tea. Of course, these are not all types of tea, there are many more.
We most often drink hot tea, although on hot days, cold (or iced) tea also has its advocates. It also has a very high social value. It is for tea or coffee that friends or family are invited, and in restaurants it is an integral part of many dishes.
Does tea rehydrate the body?
Tea consists mainly of water, hence it hydrates the body. The caffeine (also known as theine) present in the composition is in a much lower amount than, for example, in coffee or energy drinks. For this reason, the diuretic effect is not as intense, but also the stimulation after tea is not as pronounced as with the aforementioned products.
However, remember that a cup of tea does not contain enough electrolytes, which are just as important as water itself in terms of hydration. For this reason, in the case of hot weather or increased physical exertion, tea will not be the best solution for hydration.
How much should we drink per day?
Every day, an adult should take in 0.02 litres of water per kilogram of body weight. Does this recommendation apply to everyone? On the contrary, drinking water and the amount of water is also determined by the climate in which we live, our physical activity or age. Hence, the exact value for each person will be different.
Does tea dehydrate the body?
The diuretic effect (due to the caffeine in the composition) may make some people think that tea dehydrates the body and we should not drink it. However, it turns out that when it comes to hydration, it is better than pure water and can hydrate the body more effectively. Even regular isotonic drinks or lager are worse than tea.
It doesn't really matter which tea we are talking about here. Both herbal and fruit teas will hydrate at a similar level to each other, higher than pure water.
Because of the caffeine in its composition, is tea dehydrating? According to widely held opinion - yes. However, recent studies show that moderate caffeine consumption does not have a dehydrating effect either in the long term or immediately after consumption.
In the case of tea, we are just dealing with moderate doses of caffeine. It is only with large doses of caffeine in the drink that an increased diuretic effect can be observed after consumption. Tea hydrates our body, and this is best illustrated by the BHI.
Tea a Beverage Hydration Index (BHI)
Water is extremely important for the proper functioning of the body. Therefore, everyone should take care of its level in the body, especially physically active people. To check how well a drink hydrates, the Beverage Hydration Index (BHI) is used to determine how well the drink hydrates relative to pure water, which is the reference standard. It has a value of 1.00 and any score above one means the drink hydrates better, while below one means it hydrates worse.
The adjusted BHI for tea is 1.05, which is even better than that of ordinary isotonic drinks, which have a BHI of 0.98. In comparison, coffee has a BHI of 0.89. Of course, there are many drinks that have a BHI above that of tea, but its score above the 1.00 level illustrates quite clearly that drinking tea does not lead to dehydration at all.
What rehydrates better than tea?
If we are afraid of becoming dehydrated and a tea score of 1.05 does not seem like much, we would like to present drinks that perform much better in terms of BHI. Cola is better (1.09), orange juice is much better (1.25) and Gaminate Hydration, the best hydration product on the market with a BHI of 1.42, is in a completely different league.
Gaminate Hydration is the first isotonic on the market that does not contain sugar, while at the same time having an optimum osmotic pressure. In addition, it contains all 6 electrolytes and 13 vitamins, which is several times more than competitors in the same market category. This mineral content makes Gaminate Hydration very beneficial for the correct fluid balance in the body.
What's more, one serving of Gaminate Hydration is only 19 kcal! Are there less in other products of this type? On the contrary, typical isotonic drinks often have over 100 kcal per serving. As a result, Gaminate Hydration will not negate the effects of your training.
Can you drink tea instead of water?
Drinking tea can help replenish the fluid levels in our bodies. However, it should not replace water entirely. It is important to remember that tea (no matter whether green tea, black tea or fruit tea) does not contain electrolytes in its composition, and drinking it further flushes them out of our bodies. They (electrolytes) are just as important as water when it comes to hydration, and are often forgotten, which can have fatal consequences when dehydration occurs.
What does too little fluid in the body lead to?
Too little fluid naturally leads to dehydration. This is very dangerous for the body and significantly affects its functioning. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, nausea and feeling unwell.
Tea and hydration during exercise
Since tea doesn't dehydrate, why not take it for a workout? Unfortunately, this will not be the best idea. Drinking tea to rehydrate your body during exercise will not be as effective as drinking water or Gaminate Hydration.
Let us remember that, apart from the fluids themselves, electrolytes are also very important. Hence, the hydration coming from Gaminate Hydration is incomparably better, not only due to the much higher BHI, but also the presence of all 6 electrolytes in the formulation. On top of this, the Gaminate Hydration formula does not contain caffeine, so it will not increase urine production and more frequent visits to the toilet.
A few final words
We hope that now, when drinking tea, you will not fear that you are rapidly dehydrating your body. Your favourite tea may taste better or just as good because of this! Remember, however, that if you want to hydrate quickly and effectively enough, other products will work better due to a number of important differences in composition.
