If you've ever been told to "stay hydrated," you may have been accidentally clued into the most behind-the-scenes epidemic going on in today's world: dehydration. In fact, upwards of 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. With dehydration comes sleepiness, excess thirst, and dizziness -- symptoms that can disrupt your day, productivity, and even mood.
You need to drink around 3 liters of water per day to avoid dehydration. And while it's becoming "trendy" to lug around a gallon sized water bottle with motivational quotes every 8 ounces, it certainly isn't convenient enough to make a consistent habit. Beyond the inconvenience (and frequent urination...) that comes with drinking buckets of water a day, many simply prefer drinking other beverages throughout the day to switch things up. However, some beverages, while based in water, can actually have the reverse affect. Beverages containing caffeine are especially known to dehydrate, rather than help the cause.
This is where it's worth asking the question: does tea hydrate or does tea dehydrate?
Caffeinated Drinks and Hydration
As a general rule of thumb, caffeinated drinks are known to contribute to the dehydration epidemic. Caffeine, which is found in coffee, chocolate and certain teas, is a compound that acts as a stimulant in the body. It boosts alertness and focus, and helps you avoid feelings of sleepiness. But caffeine may also be contributing to tiredness later on, as it ultimately causes dehydration; when caffeine reaches the kidneys, it can have a diuretic effect.
A diuretic causes you to urinate more frequently, which means you're losing even more water. As you lose water, you slowly become more and more dehydrated.
We know that regular coffee is caffeinated, which means that your cup of coffee is likely making you more dehydrated than helping the cause. But what about tea? Only certain teas are caffeinated, and even a cup of these teas have a lower caffeine level than coffee.
Tea vs. Coffee
When it comes to hydration, tea will almost always win out against coffee. However, decaffeinated coffee and tea are both free of caffeine, and thus may be considered equally hydrating.
Caffeinated Teas
Different teas have different amounts of caffeine. Teas that come from the camellia sinensis plant are the teas that contain caffeine. Black tea has the most caffeine, while green tea and matcha come in at a close second. The average cup of black tea has 50-60 mg of caffeine, while green tea stays around 20-30 mg of caffeine. White tea contains around 30 mg of caffeine, so it falls between black and green tea.
By comparison, coffee contains around 120 mg of caffeine per cup. An energy drink may contain around 160-200 mg of caffeine. Clearly, tea has much less caffeine than other caffeinated options, but drinking large quantities of tea could still contribute to your dehydration.
Even still, research indicates that caffeine may not act as a diuretic until it hits 500 mg or more in a day -- which would be around 11 to 18 cups of tea. So if you're not hitting the double digit cup of tea mark, you should be able to count your cup of tea towards your water intake for the day.
Herbal Tea
Teas that do not come from the camellia sinensis plant usually fall into the herbal tea bucket. Herbal tea is usually caffeine free, which means that they are very unlikely to dehydrate you. Because these teas are really just water with flowers, herbs or spices, they actually can be quite hydrating. Without the same diuretic effect as their caffeinated counterparts, herbal teas are known to be a great non-water option for those looking to keep your hydration levels up.
So, Does Tea Hydrate You?
If you're looking for the best hydrator, plain water and decaffeinated tea (herbal teas) always win out against caffeinated options. Drinking tea is a great way to switch up your beverages from just plain water, and keep your hydration journey a bit more exciting. Plus, tea offers many more health benefits that go beyond water's hydration abilities. Thanks to tea's high level of antioxidants, it is known to help prevent certain cancers, reduce blood pressure, and even act as an anti-inflammatory. This low-calories beverage could change the fate of your health journey, from hydration to beyond.
How to Start Drinking Tea
If you're looking for a new, exciting way to increase your hydration levels, incorporating tea into your daily routine is a great option. Iced tea is a great choice to quench your thirst on a summer day, while a hot cup of chamomile tea is perfect to cozy up with at night. Here are some of our favorite ways to prepare and enjoy tea:
Coconut Lime Morning Black Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Mosi Morning Black loose tea leaves
- lime slice
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup coconut water
- 1 tbsp honey
- ice cubes
Tools + Equipment
- Mosi All-in-One infuser to combine all the ingredients easily
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Directions
STEP 1: Fill the silicone sieve with Mosi Morning Black tea and secure it to the infuser lid.
STEP 2: Pour water (about 185 degrees which has small boiling bubbles) into your infuser through the spout.
STEP 3: Attach the lid, switch up the lock, and flip the infuser upside down for 2-4 minutes. Flip over and let the tea sit for 15 minutes or until it is cooled off.
STEP 4: Meanwhile, add ice cubes, lime slice, sweetener, and coconut water to a glass.
STEP 5: Pour the tea into a glass, stir and enjoy!
Note: This recipe is best enjoyed cold/over ice. Please be aware you should not pour boiling hot water into a glass as it can break — wait until your tea is cooled off before adding it to a glass!
Green Chamomile Honey Tea
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Mosi Green Chamomile loose leaf tea
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp honey
Tools + Equipment
- Mosi All-in-One infuser to combine all the ingredients easily
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Directions
STEP 1: Fill the silicone sieve with Mosi Green Chamomile tea and secure it to the infuser lid.
STEP 2: Pour water (about 185 degrees which has small boiling bubbles) into your infuser through the spout.
STEP 3: Attach the lid, switch up the lock, and flip the infuser upside down for 2-4 minutes then flip over.
STEP 4: Meanwhile, add your honey to a mug.
STEP 5: Pour the tea into a mug, stir and enjoy!
Iced Lemon Mint Vanilla Matcha Tea
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Mosi Vanilla Matcha tea
- lemon slice
- mint sprigs
- 3/4 cup water
- ice cubes
Tools + Equipment
- Mosi All-in-One infuser to combine all the ingredients easily
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Directions
STEP 1: Add Mosi Vanilla Matcha powder to your infuser.
STEP 2: Pour water (about 185 degrees which has small boiling bubbles) into your infuser through the spout. Secure infuser.
STEP 3: Attach the lid, switch up the lock, and shake. Let the tea sit for 15 minutes or until it is cooled off.
STEP 4: Meanwhile, add ice cubes, mint leaves, and sliced lemon to a glass.
STEP 5: Pour the tea into a glass, stir and enjoy!
Note: This recipe is best enjoyed cold/over ice. Please be aware you should not pour boiling hot water into a glass as it can break — wait until your tea is cooled off before adding it to a glass!
