Iced tea = water...or does it?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
October 28, 2012 6:39pm CST
Of course I have heard to drink lots of water...but...I still haven't found anything of any support...to tell me if drinking iced tea, no sugar, just lemon is a equal replacement for water. It is all water..100% water...just with the flavor of some tea leaves in it..no calories or anything there. So..question of the day...and links to places if you have any...does drinking alot of iced tea in a day accomodate the need for hydration and drinking alot of water and all? When they say drink 8 glasses of water a day....is 8 glasses of plain iced tea equivalent?
2 people like this
12 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
30 Oct 12
Yeah, I don't know. Just seems that 12 cups of water a day...just flavored with some dry tea leaves...should count for a good amount of require water per day!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
But if drank in quantity... I drink it all day long!m wouldn;t that make some of the water hydrate you? I Usually drink it plain with lemon or lime, but sometimes I treat myself to Sweet n Low which I know is no good, but that is my treat instead of candy, soda, Starbucks etc. But still...caffiene is now used in makeup and facial treaatments...they say it helps your skin....the caffeine does..so if it is so bad in regard to dehydration...why is it in skin care products and makeup?
1 person likes this
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
29 Oct 12
Well I would only be assuming that it will hydrate you as it is mainly made up of water but what I'm thinking is that you are adding antioxidants and if you are adding a bit of lemon that is also good for you. If it's green tea I've read that bossts your metabolism so if you were trying to lose weight that it would help. But I'm not 100% on your question so I don't want to give a definite yes or no answer 
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I just want to know if the water I digest when drinking tea (homemade with Lipton) is the same benefits of water drank itself.
I only use Lipton bags...others just aren't as good so it is black peako and orange...or however that is. I often put lemon or lime in it. I drink some plain and some...to treat myself (instead of candy) I'll add Sweet n Low for a treat. I know that isn't any nutrition but it is my treat. I have tried green tea and it is so weak...I feel I haven't drank anything but water and tea is my flavor of the day! I don't drink sodas or coffee or Starbucks or anything else...just tea
1 person likes this
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
29 Oct 12
Ahh well you know I think it's still better than sodas and coffee. I'm a tea drinker too but I do have coffee once in a while and I hardly touch soda.
I know I'm not really helpful with this question but I would say it's best to drink some plain water as well with nothing added to be sure you are being hydrated. I think you can still get hydration with tea but I know as well there is some caffeine in there which dehydrates so you may not be getting the full benefit. But because I haven't read or looked into it I still dont't want to say that is all correct.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I am wondering if the AMOUNT I drink...equivalates the amount of water needed. I drink iced tea 24/7, first thing in the AM and last thing in before bed...TONS more than just 8 glass of water as they say! So maybe I get the full 8 "just water" amount out of 20 glasses of tea!!! Ya think?
@AmbiePam (85909)
• United States
29 Oct 12
From what I have read and heard, anything mixed with the water helps dilate the ultimate hydration you'd get if you were just drinking water by itself. I make sure to drink a lot of water period. Sure, it helps hydrate me, but it makes my skin better, makes me less hungry, and I feel better overall.
2 people like this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I tried the green tea for weight loss too and me neither did it do jack!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
AmbiePam...maybe you could answer me this. No matter where I have lived...apartment, house, condo..no matter where I go..hotel, someone elses house, and no matter what state of town I have lived in....the bathroom water ALWAYS Tastes so bad I can't drink it. But go to the kitchen..and it is fine...granted filtered is better but at least I can take a swig...but in the bathroom faucets...it is so gross I can't swallow it! Why is that? I mean it all comes from the same place, the same pipes and style of metal is used throughout the house...everything is the same so why does bathroom water always taste so bad? I just bought this house last year...it is 20 years old..and I replaced ALL the faucets throughout the house...and still bathroom water is disgusting, but the kitchen isn't. And that has been the story in every single place I have lived.Just moved out of some apartments that were about 5 years old...and same thing....any comments?
@shylade (3132)
• Philippines
29 Oct 12
Yes, I think. But be careful as tea is acidic and it can make your stomach acidic too. You can also try putting lemon in a pitcher of water and drink it little my little. It tastes weird at first but when you get used to it, it will just taste at plain water. Lemon can helps increase our body's alkalinity so cancer cells will not grow. You know cancer cells love acidic environment.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
Wow..I didn't know that. I will look into that. I know I have no cancer as I have been under doctor care for something else and with all the tests I do for him..I am sure there'd be a sign of cancer if I had it...not to say you are wrong, just saying...interesting to know and watch for. I do drink lemon water...anytime at a resturant I order water with lemon. At home, I put lemon juice in the water bottle I drink from and lemon or lime in my iced tea. Didn't know about the lemon thing..I'll add more!
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
29 Oct 12
For me, I think the best is still to take in plain water, like what 60% of our body is composed of, than taking in iced tea. It may seem harmless to have iced tea the way you have described it. But I think what our body needs is the plain, pure water that would hydrate us. I could be wrong, but that is how I chose it.
For additional information on the benefits of pure water in our body:
http://english.pravda.ru/health/21-07-2006/83458-water-0/
For additional information on the benefits of pure water in our body:
http://english.pravda.ru/health/21-07-2006/83458-water-0/@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I drink some plain during the day...just addicted to tea!
@mindy13579 (37)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I think it works as long as the iced tea is pure ice tea meaning no added things such as sweeteners or sugars.
For me, I drink a glass of tea along with water and flavored sports drinks to meet my daily hydration needs.
Keep in mind that though tea is something that dehydrates you so drinking 8 glasses might not be the smartest idea. Water hydrates you so maybe try and find a nice balance between the two?
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
Didnt know tea dehydrates you. But if that's so...why is tea and caffine in makeup and face treatments if it is so dehydrating? Wonder if it is a different kind of caffine or something. I drink tea 24/7....first thing in the AM and last thing in the PM...like most might drink coffee!
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
29 Oct 12
Not at all!!! Tea is a diuretic, and actually makes you pee more. If you drink a cup of tea, you'll pee out atleast two cups of tea. Eventually it'll dehydrate you. You need to drink several cups of pure WATER every day, in order to stay hydrated and healthy. I love water. I can't understand why some people would rather drink something else, than water. I understand a tea or a coke now and then, or coffee, because it takes good, but I refuse to drink any of that stuff for the sake of hydration. It won't work!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I don't drink soda at all. Or coffee. Some juice but mostly tea. I don't know about it being a diuretic for me... I don't go anymore when I drink it than when I don't! I wish I did! I drink some plain water in the evenings...but mostly so the tea doesn't stay on my teeth at night and stain them and to have water in the middle of the night when I get thristy as it is pretty warm out here (CA)
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
29 Oct 12
Of course not.. Since even in chemical composition, they are not the same at all.
Our body needs water and not any other form. i may want some other refreshments, but we should never forget to supply our body with enough water..
which is 8 glasses or even more. 
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I now that, but you can't take away totally the water I drink with the tea in it. It might not be good as just plain water...but it is ALL water with some dry tea leaves in it...I know it has caffeine and such, but still...the only other ingredient is water...that has to count for something doesn't it?
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
29 Oct 12
Ice tea is officialy cooked tea cooled off/in the fridge. So you can use each kind of tea and prepare it and put it in the fridge. What you buy in the shops is mostly (at least over here) a lot of sugar and it even doesn't taste like tea at all. Those who are addicted to it (like some of the kids of a friend of mine) don't even recognize normal tea in it (because of all the sugar the added to the ice tea incl. some chemical flavours etc). Still if it comes to hydrating ice tea (the one you buy) will help as well, just like fruit, vegetables (contains 60-80% of water), meat etc etc. In a normal situation one can't be that easily hydrated at all since there is always a part of water/fluid in everything we eat as well.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
Oh I know! At fast foods...I only order it if it comes plain. Sweetened is just to sweet and gross! I used to travel in the car alot from state to state and it was kind of a joke/up lifter/helpful kind of thing for me to get a big gulp of what I called "truck stop iced tea"...meaning I'd get it at the truck stop and it was old tea...like been there from the day before...and was so strong it was hardly drinkable..but drinking it woke me up and kept me driving!
But at most fast foods....it is sweetened and even there it is so sweet I can't stand it. I get it plain/unsweet and add lemon or sometimes sweetner if I want me "sweet kick" for the day. Bottled tea in the stores like Arizona brand...sounds great the flavors they have but they are pre sweetened and so sweet I can't drink them...being that sweet also makes them rather strong!!!
I brew mine in the coffeemaker, let it cool and in the fridge it goes.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Oct 12
I sometimes add lemon or lime...fresh cuts. And I ALWAYS use a straw specifically and get very little tea on my teeth. I have been to the dentist and told him this and he is amazed that my teeth aren't anymore stained than a whitening toothpaste won't cure. But it is the way i use the straw and drink it that keeps the tea off my teeth. I have not had a problem with dehydration...or diruetic-ness.
