When it comes to staying hydrated, many people wonder if their morning cup of Joe will contribute to their fluid needs, or if they’ll have to drink extra water to make up for it.  I hear it all the time, don’t you? Those caffeinated drinks can’t count toward your fluid needs! But what does the science actually say about it? Can our favorite caffeinated beverages help with hydration or do they just drag us down into dehydration? Let’s do a little digging and find out!

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So are caffeinated beverages dehydrating?

Fortunately, studies have shown that caffeinated beverages can indeed be counted toward our daily fluid intake!

Yes, despite what you may have even been told by well-meaning members of the medical community, caffeinated beverages are not dehydrating.  To be dehydrating, a beverage would need to trigger the body to lose more fluid than was originally taken in. Also known as diuretics, such substances act on the kidneys to increase urinary output (how much you pee!) and subsequently cause the body to lose more fluid. Though caffeine is a weak diuretic, the fluid provided by caffeinated beverages combined with the body’s ability to adapt to caffeine consumption virtually eliminates any diuretic impact made by the caffeine.

How do we know?  Studies that have evaluated urinary markers of hydration have shown that drinking caffeinated beverages does not increase 24-hour urinary output (read: how much you tinkle in 24 hours), even with intake upwards of 500-600 mg per day (equivalent to 4-7 cups of coffee).  In people not used to drinking caffeinated beverages, short term urinary output may increase slightly in the hours just following caffeine consumption.  The body, however, is quick to adapt to caffeine intake, and the effect is soon quashed. (1)

But wait! There’s more!

If the direct measurement of urinary markers hasn’t convinced you, check out what these other studies have found! When it comes to staying hydrated, you’ll see that everything (except for alcohol!) counts.

• Does it matter what kind of drink you sip on? Nope. There is no difference in hydration status between people who drink caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric, or non-caloric beverages.(2)
• Do you have to drink water? Nope. Drinking ‘plain water’ is not necessary for staying hydrated. (3)
• Are people who avoid caffeinated beverages better hydrated? Nope. There is no difference in hydration status between people who include caffeinated beverages in their daily fluid intake and those who don’t. (4)
• Wondering if that soda pop counts? It does! A person’s individual hydration status is not affected by the composition of beverages consumed, including soft drinks. (5)

(See references at the end of this post for study links!)

Choose wisely!

Of course, not all caffeinated beverages are created equal.  Many naturally caffeinated beverages, namely coffee and tea, are rich in antioxidants and have been shown to have health-protective benefits in many cases. 

Energy drinks, on the other hand, should generally be avoided.  Though their caffeine content is typically similar to a cup of coffee, energy drinks often contain other unregulated herbs and supplements that may be unsafe.  They are also frequently high in sugar with little in the way of vitamins or minerals.

Mix it up!

Water

Variety is the spice of life and that includes what you sip on! Water is always an excellent choice and it doesn’t have to be plain. Don’t hesitate to get creative with your H2O! Infused water is both refreshing and delicious, not to mention versatile. Experiment with your favorite fresh herbs, sliced cucumber, citrus, berries, melon, and other sliced fruit to make your own signature infusion! Love a fizzy drink? Just swap in seltzer, club soda, or mineral water to make it bubbly. I personally love seltzer infused with lemon slices and a few smashed strawberries–so yummy!

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are another option to consider. Formulated to provide much needed electrolytes and simple carbohydrates for training and exercise, these are best used during extended bouts of activity (>60 minutes) or if you are sweating profusely. They can also help to restore hydration status when you’ve been losing excessive fluids due to sickness, especially if you’ve had diarrhea or vomiting.

Juice

Juice is yet another thirst-quencher that can help with hydration. Sweet and full of nutrients, juice provides an assortment of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and can even count toward your fruit and vegetable servings. Though I typically encourage most people to eat whole fruit and limit juices, a small serving of 100% juice can certainly be a part of most diet plans.

got milk?

And while we’re on the topic of healthy drinks, don’t forget milk! Milk and milk alternatives can fit perfectly into your hydration habits and have nutrient perks besides! Milk in particular is a great source of complete protein with a nice balance of carbs and fat (depending on what fat% you buy). It makes for a perfect post-workout recovery drink and, of course, contributes to strong bones.

If milk’s not your thing, there are so many dairy-free options to try! Though the nutritional value of milk alternatives varies quite a bit, you’re likely to at least get a little extra protein and maybe even some added vitamins and minerals. Just be sure to watch out for added sugars in the flavored varieties!

When to Skip Caffeinated Beverages

There are occasions when caffeine should be avoided. Individuals with high blood pressure, certain heart conditions, or who are pregnant should speak with their health care provider before drinking caffeinated beverages. Consuming high levels of caffeine is also associated with feeling shaky, jittery, and anxious and can interfere with sleep. Some individuals report an increase in headache and migraine activity when caffeine has been consumed and many people have experienced the infamous ‘caffeine withdrawl’ headache when regular caffeine intake is abruptly stopped.

It’s Up to You!

Though caffeinated beverages may contribute to your fluid needs, the decision to drink such beverages is yours.  Consider how they make you feel and if they cause any unwanted side effects.  There is no need to add these beverages if you have no desire to.  Otherwise, enjoy that morning latte knowing you’ll be getting hydration along with that pick-me-up!

Thanks for reading! Learn more about me and my passion for nutrition here!

References

1. Armstrong, L. 2002. Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance. Int J Sports Nutr and Exerc Metab 12:189-206
2. Grandjean, A. C., Reimers, K. J., Bannick, K. E., & Haven, M. C. (2000). The effect of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric and non-caloric beverages on hydration. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 19(5), 591-600.
3. Grandjean, A.C., Reimers, K.J., Haven, M.C., Curtis, G.L. The effect on hydration of two diets, one with and one without plain water. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003 Apr;22(2):165-73.
4. Maughan, R. J., & Griffin, J. (2003). Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 16(6), 411-420.
5. Tucker MA, Ganio MS, Adams JD, Brown LA, Ridings CB, Burchfield JM, Robinson FB, McDermott JL, Schreiber BA, Moyen NE, et al. Hydration Status over 24-H Is Not Affected by Ingested Beverage Composition. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015; 34(4):318-27.

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Study shows belly fat may increase risk of second heart attack, particularly for men

“Maintaining a healthy waist circumference is important for preventing future heart attacks and strokes regardless of how many drugs you may be taking or how healthy your blood tests are.”

Low-fat, low-carb diets equally beneficial if healthy foods are included

Though low-fat and low-carb diets have both been shown to have weight loss benefits, their impact on overall health has yet to be examined. In this study, researchers were able to show that “healthier” versions of these diets (i.e. limited refined carbohydrates and added sugars and replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats, respectively) have improved nutritional quality and reduce overall mortality risk.

Small, realistic goals and seeking support help people stick to diet resolutions

If improving the way you eat or shedding a little weight is on your agenda, keep your goals realistic, measurable, and specific. Enlisting the support of friends will also give you the encouragement and accountability you need to stay on track.

Coconut oil linked to higher LDL levels

Despite wide-spread belief in the health benefits of coconut oil, clinical evidence for such claims is lacking. A new meta-analysis study published in Circulation shows that, to the contrary, coconut oil is linked to higher cholesterol levels and is not associated with lower rates of inflammation, glycemia, or adiposity.

The post Nutrition News appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

Hello and welcome back to The Diet Oracle! In our latest diet review, we’ve been taking an up-close-and-personal look at the Mediterranean diet–what it entails, the promised benefits, and whether it can really deliver weight loss success. If you’ve ever wondered whether this diet is worth all the buzz, then keep on reading!

As a dietitian, I am always on the lookout for nutrition books that provide both solid science as well as clear, goal-oriented action plans. I want the questions how? and why? answered in ways the average person can understand without false promises and bogus claims. This month, we’ve been taking the microscope to The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD.

So how does The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution measure up? And does the research really back up all the claims? Let’s find out!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop with these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

Great for Beginners!

For the person who’d like to try a Mediterranean diet but has no idea where to even start, Stassou’s got you covered. The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution provides 6 weeks of complete meal plans and well over 100 pages of recipes to take out all the guesswork. Nice!

Each week includes grocery lists and tips for making meal prep a snap, including grab-and-go options and ways to use up leftovers. In addition, Stassou’s plan also focuses on other important lifestyle changes, such as adding physical activity, improving sleep habits, and seeking out opportunities for stress-relief and relaxation.

All in all, The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution is a solid how-to for anyone interested in the Mediterranean diet for health and weight loss.

That said, her educational chapters are a bit on the skimpy side. Compared to the rest of the book, her case for the Mediterranean diet comprises less than 20% of its pages–only 10% if you exclude her discussion of exercise, rest, and relaxation. Depending on what you’re looking for, this isn’t necessarily a drawback. For me, however, I really like some meaty chapters chock-full of interesting studies and snazzy graphs. So let’s do a little digging!

What does the research say?

Even a cursory search on the ole’ internet will show you that if there’s one diet with some hefty research cred behind it, it’s the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has been the focus of numerous studies, both large and small and with varying degrees of quality.

Below I’ve rounded up for you a handful of studies worth looking at. From disease prevention and risk reduction to weight loss and reversal of metabolic syndrome, these studies highlight the potential benefits offered by a Mediterranean-style diet.

1. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts
2. The Final Report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study
3. Effect of Mediterranean-Style Diet on Endothelial Dysfunction and Markers of Vascular Inflammation in the Metabolic Syndrome
4. Effects of a Mediterranean-Style Diet on the Need for Antihyperglycemic Drug Therapy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
5. Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet
6. Comparison of Weight Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrate
7. Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and Long-Term Changes in Weight and Waist Circumference in the EPIC-Italy Cohort

So what’s the bottom line?

Though the Mediterranean diet is no miracle cure or fail-proof weight loss strategy, multiple studies do show that following this diet can potentially:

• Reduce the risk for heart attack and repeat heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular risk factors and deaths, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (1,2,3)
• Improve blood glucose and insulin levels, and reduce the need for diabetic medications (4, 5, 6)
• Enhance weight loss efforts (3, 5, 6, 7)
• Protect against weight gain and increases in waist circumference (7)

Now that we’ve done our homework and know just what’s up for grabs with a Mediterranean-style diet, let’s take Stassou’s plan out for a spin drive! Over the next few posts, I’ll share with you the nuts and bolts of her 28-day plan and will give you a front row seat as I try it out for an entire week. Whether or not she delivers with this ‘kick-start’ plan, I have to admit that I’m looking forward to what I hope will be a week of delicious recipes!

The post The Mediterranean Diet: A Research Roundup! appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

As I sat down to start what I thought would be a post on the latest research regarding the Mediterranean diet, I quickly realized that I should first share with you my thoughts on nutrition research and the extent to which it can be trusted.

As a dietitian, I am always eager to read the latest and greatest on all things food science and human nutrition, but let me make one thing clear: this field of study most definitely has its limitations.

Nutrition research is murky business, to put it bluntly. Even if you set aside issues of personal and financial bias, you still have the simple fact that it is extremely difficult to study people and their eating habits. After all, eating does not happen in a void. A person is not merely what they eat, despite the old adage. Genetics, environment, upbringing, culture, access to food and food security, personal preferences, health status, physical activity, smoking history–the list could go on and on and still we would not have every piece of the puzzle that makes up a single individual’s health and eating behaviors. And yet, any of these various pieces could all but decide a person’s success or failure on a given diet. This is one very obvious reason why a diet that works beautifully for one person may be a total flop for another.

You can see, then, why studying nutrition is complicated, to say the least. Even if you perfectly measured and accounted for every single crumb that would pass your participants’ lips, you’d still have to contend with the biggest factor of them all–the human factor. And we’ve not even broached the subject of accurate and standardized testing, data collection, and analysis!!

So what then? Should we just throw in the towel? No. I think despite these challenges, nutrition is a worthy field of study and I have high hopes that as technology continues to advance, so will our ability to learn about nutrition. In the meantime, here are a few principles to guide you as you attempt to sort through the hype and the headlines:

• Don’t miss the forest for the trees. It can be easy to get swept up and overwhelmed by the various soundbites and talking points shared online and in the media. Try not to lose track of the bigger picture!
• If an exciting, new study pops up that seems to fly in the face of every other previous study on the matter, take it with a grain of salt. If the research is truly legit, the findings will be replicated in due time.
• Don’t ignore common sense. If you read a nutrition headline that seems like good ole’ fashioned nonsense, there’s a good chance that’s just what it is.
• Hold it loosely. As a dietitian, I do my best to make recommendations that are grounded in the most solid research possible. But you know what? As research methods improve, so does the data. Don’t be so rigid in your food beliefs that you’re willing to ignore better information.

Just know that if you ever feel totally confused about nutrition, you are not alone. Here at The Diet Oracle, my goal is to bring a little clarity to the table and I hope you’ll join the discussion! Thanks for reading!

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