Does Tea Count as Water Intake? Why Should Coffee Not Be Consumed in Excess?
09 Dec 2024
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Some customers always ask me this question while drinking tea: Does drinking tea count toward your daily water intake? Honestly, Chinese tea is so delicious that some tea lovers drink tea all day instead of plain water. First of all, let me reassure you that this is totally fine, as most of the tea is just water.
Take southern China, for instance. In provinces like Fujian Province and Guangdong Province, people drink tea morning, noon, and night. They sip tea before meals, after meals, and even while working, carrying huge flasks of brewed tea wherever they go. Plain water with no flavor change is just unappealing to these tea drinkers. Just like coffee lovers, who can't start the day without a cup, in the same way, they can't live without their teas.
Does tea count as water?
Let's have a look from the point of view of tea chemistry at what's in a cup of tea and what your body absorbs when you drink it.Tea is mostly water: 99% of a cup of tea is water, which means it's great for staying hydrated.Healthy active ingredients:Tea contains health-benefiting ingredients, including tea polyphenols, L-theanine, and minerals, which render it not only healthy but also an antioxidant, improving immunity and imparting other health benefits beyond rehydration.That said, tea does contain caffeine, which has mild diuretic properties. For one to have good sleep, it is advisable not to drink tea late into the night. Nonetheless, studies show that moderate tea intake does not, in general, affect body hydration levels and therefore no strong dehydration effects are implicated as is often observed with coffee.
Why Does Coffee Vary?
In contrast, negative effects associated with the consumption of large amounts of coffee are: increased levels of caffeine per cup stimulate the central nervous system. High intakes of caffeine may also lead to anxiety, palpitations, and nervousness, particularly in people who are sensitive to caffeine. The high level of caffeine in coffee may also upset sleep since adenosine is blocked, which is a chemical that controls relaxation and sleep.
Overview
Teas are often regarded as the greatest natural drink apart from water. Chinese tea, in particular, is natural and additive-free, with no artificial flavors or colors, making it a very good option for daily hydration without any burden on the body. Tea drinking has a history of thousands of years in China. In many restaurants, tea is served before and after meals. Even in Guangdong Province, 5-year-old children drink tea with their parents as a daily custom. So yes, drinking tea does count toward water intake and has extra health benefits, so it is better for hydration.
SEE MORE ABOUT CHINESE TEAS
If you have questions about selecting tea:
Learn-more-about-chinese-tea
If you have questions about the benefits of tea:
Health-benefits-of-chinese-tea
If you have questions about brewing tea:
How-to-brew-loose-leaf-tea
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