Iced tead - good, bad or indifferent for daily water intake?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
March 1, 2008 9:02pm CST
Here's something I have been trying to decide (for myself anyway)
I've heard for years about drinking enough water daily. 8 glasses a day etc. Well, does ice tea count as water for those 8 glasses? I have heard the yes's and the no's. But the fact remains that it is all water with some tea leaf flavorings, so how can it be anything but water for daily use? I hear about green tea and have compared Lipton green tea with their regular and the green has only slightly more antioxidents that the regular and it is twice the cost. I know Lipton is not gospel on the situation, just what I have looked at. online research, just says so but not the whys. I went to my doctor about a weight issue, and asked him and he said no problem drinking iced tea - it is good water source. I have been drinking tea about a gallon a day 365 days a year (no coffee) and my blood work came back perfect, cholorestorl is 158 and he said I was in very good shape. i am never sick with usual things, havne't had a cold or the flu in literally years.
yes, I know I am just one person and all, but what are your knowledgable thoughts, opinions and hopefully facts as to what you think...is ice tea a good water source for daily water intake?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
2 Mar 08
I agree with Dr Wiel. The amount of fluid you get from the caffinated beverage - minus soda because of the sodium content - heavily outweighs the caffine.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
2 Mar 08
Iced tea, coffee, etc does count for your daily intake. In fact those "8 glasses" are different amount from each person and are not 8 glasses of pure liquid. The majority of that should come from foods you eat - fruits and veggies.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
2 Mar 08
Personally, if I drink 8 glasses of fluid - any kind - a day, I feel like I have had too much liquid. I do eat a lot of fruits, veggies, etc. I am sure that makes a difference.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
2 Mar 08
MY daughter and hubby love tea - iced or not :) - me and my son we're not specially fond of it. We will drink sometimes, but not usually.
The only thing I really like to drink is water - if we don't count the occasional milkshake or fruit juice made tight at that time.
I am sure that drinking tea is a good water source after all it's what's made with, and tea also has some very positive properties. But I don't really like it enough to drink often.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Mar 08
I drink water too, just that nothing quenches thirst like a glass of ice tea... at least for me. And with as much water in there...things could be worse! I'd even consider Iced tea my only "bad" thing I do eat. Okay, pizza and enchilladas, but ya gotta have some fun!
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
8 Sep 08
I used to drink alot of sweet tea. When I developed diabetes I had to stop drinking it. Now it is water. Occasionally I have V-8 juice, apple juice or milk but mostly it's water. I do miss the tea though...my foster kids always loved that stuff too.
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@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
8 Sep 08
I can't drink sweetened tea or with sugar. Just to strongly sweet. I use SweetnLow - have since I was 16. I use one packet for about 2-3 glasses of tea - depending on the size of the glass. I don't like it really sweet, but can't hardly down it with no sweetening! I can skimp a little bit more on the sweet n low if I add lime but doesn't do the same with Lemon. I also skip the sweet n low and use flavored packet to add to water - like Crystal LIght or the new lipton flavors. THe kind that one packet goes into a 16 oz bottle of bottled water and you shake and drink. I add just a smidge of that to unsweetened tea and it is really good. I like Lipton's vanill and raspberry flvors. Adds the sweeten agent and the flavor.
@bfarrier1 (2082)
• United States
2 Mar 08
I certainly hope so because like you I drink alot of it Green tea and regular tea I really don't see why it wouldn't count because it is mainly flavored water, I also drink vitamin water and that is mostly flavored water as well so it should count. We will count it anyway lol. Have a great day!
@bfarrier1 (2082)
• United States
2 Mar 08
I buy it by the gallons Praire Farms has the best I have drank,your right when you say that it helps when your really thristy. Have a great day!
1 person likes this
@jhl930 (3601)
• United States
2 Mar 08
I personally think that you should drink just straight water because the sugar that is in tea isn't really good for you because alot of the tea that you drink now has sugar in it and alot of it...I would just suggest that you drink water with a few things that you eat everyday and that should be good enough beacuse i don't drink that much water and as far as i know there is nothing wrong with me...
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
2 Mar 08
I don't use sugar, just lemon or lime. ANd I do drink 2 bottles of water most every day.
1 person likes this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
17 Mar 08
Iced tea, hot tea, no difference since they are both made with water. Yes, I have asked my doctor too if it counts in our 8 glasses of water a day, and she tells me yes. She also tells me that my body will determine how much water I need a day, not the guidelines that tell you to drink 8 glasses a day. She tells me that when I am thirsty my body tells me and if I am not thirsty don't worry about getting the recommended 8 glasses. She tells me we get a lot of our water intake from the foods we eat, so don't force it by drinking more than I want to.
As for green tea, it has more antitoxins in it that help you burn more calories so it is good for weight loss.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
17 Mar 08
I think most if not all these general guidelines, They give these guidelines for those that don't bother to pay attention or use common sense for themselves. Kind of like if you don't tell them the need to move out of the way of an oncoming car, they won't bother to do it!
But on the other hand, if it helps them stay healthy or whatever, might as well do it. I think tea and probably even coffe both have a bad "rep". Kind of like few years ago when they said the smell of a new car causes cancer!
The green tea - is that really true? I mean is it worth the price to buy the green tea for that antioxins/weight loss reason? I am on a budget, couldnt' afford green tea if it were, but ihave compared Liption regular bs green, and granted Liption is not the god-send, but in comparision, there is so little difference between them. The slight bit more the green tea offers (something like green gives 90% and rgular gives 85%)isn't worth the twice the price it costs.
