We’re six weeks out from a too-close-for-comfort highly consequential presidential election. Is now really the best time to be messing with our coffee routines?!?! The good folks at Yahoo! (assisted by a medical review from Simone Harounian, MS) seem to think so! I shouldn’t be so hard on them, they just want to make sure we don’t get dehydrated. The theory is, since coffee has caffeine and caffeine is a diuretic, the beverage has the potential to be dehydrating. The good news is, “moderate” coffee consumption, about 3-4 cups a day, should not lead to dehydration, especially if you balance out the coffee intake with water or electrolyte drinks. Ok, I’m less jumpy now that they’re not telling me us to cut coffee entirely. Here’s more on the science percolating beneath the cup:
Caffeine is the culprit: Caffeine acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production and potentially leading to a more significant loss of fluids. The kidneys act like filters, cleaning waste and excess fluids from your blood through small tubes called glomeruli. Consuming caffeine can help these tiny tubes stay open and clean your blood more efficiently. However, this can also impact how much water the body holds onto or gets rid of. Increased filtration lets your kidneys release more water, causing you to pee more often. Caffeine can also stop the kidneys from reabsorbing sodium and interfere with the kidneys’ communication with the liver, further affecting urine output. If excessive coffee consumption isn’t balanced with adequate water intake, you might experience symptoms of dehydration.
Tolerance, moderation, balance: The caffeine found in coffee may increase urine production, but clinical evidence suggests its diuretic effects are relatively mild, especially for routine coffee drinkers. Coffee lovers who routinely enjoy a cup of coffee may build a tolerance to its diuretic effects. While coffee may initially increase urine output, it’s not likely to cause significant dehydration in people who drink it regularly. Most studies recommend consuming coffee in moderation and balancing your intake with other fluids. Some research defines moderate consumption as 3-4 cups of coffee daily.
5 cups or more could lead to dehydration: Moderate consumption is not likely to cause dehydration in most people. However, drinking too much coffee may lead to dehydration. High intakes of coffee, such as 5-6 cups or more daily, may have a more pronounced diuretic effect due to the influx of caffeine, increasing urine output and fluid loss. This increased fluid loss could surpass your overall fluid intake, causing dehydration. … Signs of dehydration may include thirst, dry mouth, reduced urine output, dark yellow urine, dry skin, headache, fatigue, and dizziness. However, more severe cases of dehydration can lead to symptoms like confusion, sunken eyes, and rapid heart rate.
Be mindful! When dehydrated, it’s essential to hydrate with fluids that help replenish lost body water and electrolytes. … If you notice signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, lethargy, dark urine, or headache, you may need to decrease your coffee intake and prioritize hydrating drinks like plain water or sports drinks. Maintaining a mindful approach to coffee consumption ensures you can enjoy your morning cup of joe without compromising your hydration status.
Whoever had “mindful” down for the scientific advice on coffee drinking just won Bingo! Be very mindful and only imbibe very demure portions! But seriously, I can handle this news, and appreciate it not being another round of cautions to delay or reduce coffee consumption for certain stretches of time. I usually drink 2-3 cups a day, so I’m safely in the zone of moderation (for once). Plus I’ve got the balance-with-water end of things down. If you know me by now, you’ll recall that this year I’ve really upped my water intake as part of my big health initiative to support the robust, very much not-demure amount of potato chips I consume. Science is science. Of course doctors also warn that we don’t want to go down the road of overhydration, either. The ratio of coffee to water (to potato chips) must be maintained with Goldilocks precision. Operating a human body is so much fun.
Photos credit: IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Memmler / Avalon, Diamond/Backgrid, Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid