Does green tea hydrate or dehydrate?

[janiman]

I question my friend asked.

I've been trying to pay more attention to staying hydrated recently. I got a "water balance" app, and it logs all coffee, or tea (it doesn't make a distinction between black and green) as dehydrating. I get that caffeine makes you pee a lot, which has a net dehydrating effect, but I read somewhere (maybe on the back of a snapple bottle?) that green tea has about 1/4 of the caffeine of a cup of coffee, so it has to be more hydrating than coffee, right?

Sure, I could drink decaf tea, but I like a little bit of caffeine, so I can get stuff done.

There's also silly stuff on the internet about green tea being more hydrating than water, which just seems silly, since it does have some caffeine.

Thoughts? Opinions? Reputable sources?

 

[queendoc2007]

Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it makes your kidneys work harder to expell water from your body, and it will make you have to urinate more frequently. Therefore, caffeinated beverages (tea, coffee, soft drinks) will actually dehydrate you.

Flush the caffeine out of your system with water, and you should be fine. That will hydrate you and get rid of the diuretic effect of the caffeine.
Source(s):
I'm a Registered Nurse

 

[donnamarie]

Green tea contains antioxidants, as do many fruits and veggies that can benefit one's overall health.

HOWEVER, it does NOT boost one's metabolism, nor assist with losing weight. UNLESS you are reaching for a 0 calorie tea, vs a high calorie drink.

regular coffee and teas do contain caffeiene, but the amount is minimal and does NOT cause dehydration in the body.

recommendation for green tea...up to 5 cups daily.
Hope this helps
Dietitian