Top 9 Worst Hydration Drinks You Should Avoid

Top 9 Worst Hydration Drinks You Should Avoid

Despite the fact that water is considered the best drink to stay hydrated, many people choose other beverages. However, certain drinks may actually work against your hydration goals. Make sure that next time you will choose drinks that don’t dehydrate your body. In this article, we gathered the top nine worst hydration drinks you should avoid.

1. Soda water

Soda drinks usually contain caffeine that often causes dehydration. Moreover, soda water contains a lot of sugar and sodium that can make you visit your dentist more often. Even if everything is okay in moderation, drinking a diet cola when you're thirsty is unlikely to help. You can change soda to sparkling water if you are fond of carbonation. 

2. Beer

Drinking any kind of alcohol removes water from your tissues, which means you need to drink even more water to compensate for the effects. Generally, the higher the alcohol content, the greater the dehydration effect of your drink. In order to avoid dehydration, you can choose low-alcohol light or non-alcoholic beer.

3. Wine and hard alcohol

All alcoholic beverages that have more than over 10 percent alcohol strength can be considered dehydrators. This means that more fluid will leave your system than be consumed. Most wines have about 12 percent alcohol strength, so they are better than strong drinks that have 37 percent but worse than beer (4-5 percent). 

You should also know that cocktails with strong alcohols like vodka and rum can be misleading, especially if they contain soda or fruit juice. However, you can keep yourself hydrated by drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have or think about switching to something less strong (like beer or wine).

4. Coffee

Moderate amounts of coffee are not so bad, but as soon as you pass this second cup, your body will really begin to suffer. It has been shown that consuming more than 0.01 oz of caffeine (the amount in two to three cups of coffee) leads to dehydration. To stay on the safe side, it is better to choose decaffeinated coffee or limit yourself to a cup or two.

5. Hot cocoa

You should know that one cup of hot chocolate contains more sugar and calories than a glass of soda. This means that hot cocoa can significantly dehydrate you. However, you probably don’t drink it in the hot weather, when it is important to stay hydrated. In winter, people eat more soups and stews that provide moisture. That\s why drinking a cup of hot cocoa in cold winter evening will not hurt.

6. Lemonade

Despite the fact that the sweet and sour taste of lemonade can be seductive in the heat, this drink is filled with sugar, which gives little to the needs of your body. Change this beverage to water that is filled with slices of lemon and you will feel much better.

7. Sweet iced tea

Sweet iced tea can also be tempting in the summer, but when it comes to hydration, it is not so beneficial. The amount of sugar in this drink negates any of the benefits that come with tea antioxidants. This doesn’t mean that you should refuse it at all, you just need to drink more plain water.

8. Energy drinks

Energy drinks are filled with caffeine, fake sugar and complex chemicals. That’s why they can’t be considered as hydrating drinks. If you want to recharge your batteries while adding more fluid, it is better to choose tea or sparkling water.

9. Flavored milk

White milk in itself is great, but some people tent to add unnecessary sugars with additional flavorings. That’s why it is better to avoid chocolate, strawberry and vanilla milk and stick to good old-fashioned plain milk in order to stay completely hydrated.


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