Tea Vs. Water For Hydration: Which Is Better?

Wondering which one helps you stay hydrated better between water and tea? This comparison between tea vs. water for hydration will give you a complete, insightful answer.

Tea Vs. Water For Hydration
Water is the purest form of hydration

If you want to survive, you need to stay hydrated. But how much water should you drink a day? And is it possible to swab water with other liquids such as tea or juices?

Tea appears in the form of water itself. But unlike water, the purest form of hydration, tea may contain caffeine, which contradicts your hydrating system. Learn more about the difference between tea vs. water for hydration and how to stay hydrated the right way.

How Do Tea And Water Hydrate Your Body?

couple cheerfully having tea date
Teas are known as a low-caffeine drink compared to coffee

Water breaks down food and nutrients. When you drink water before a meal, it will help digestion run quickly and efficiently.

In the intestines, water is absorbed and transferred to the rest of your body in the blood. Other than the intestines, water aids your kidneys in detoxing the blood from waste and toxins.

Meanwhile, tea is known as a low-caffeine drink compared to coffee. Not every type of tea has the same amount of caffeine. Black and green tea have a much higher caffeine level than herbal tea. 

Since tea is also a form of water but with substances, it keeps you hydrated. Besides that, drinking tea daily in a moderate amount will also boost your energy, protect heart health, and mental health, support weight loss, and regulate blood sugar.

What Do Tea And Water For Hydration Have In Common?

Simply put, they both flush toxins and waste out of your body and contribute to your overall health, such as aiding weight loss and controlling blood sugar.

Water doesn’t contain caffeine. And even though tea has caffeine, it does not have a significant diuretic effect to make you dehydrated. If you don’t exceed a maximum amount of tea per day, which is around 13 cups, there’s nothing to fret over.

Tea is a great alternative to add to your daily water consumption but is not a replacement. Try herbal tea instead if you cannot tolerate caffeine.

Tea and Water for Hydration: The Differences

Tea for Hydration Water for Hydration
Contains caffeine. Doesn’t contain caffeine.
Can have a diuretic effectDoesn’t have a diuretic effect.
Makes a fun alternative to water that can be mixed with other flavors.Safer for those who cannot drink tea.
Contains antioxidants that prevent cell damage.It contains minerals and other inorganic compounds, such as calcium, to lower bad cholesterol levels.
Prices vary.Affordable.

What’s Better About Hydrating With Tea?

an elder woman stirring her tea using a spoon
Tea has many potential benefits other than just hydrating your body

With tea, you can add natural flavors such as lime juice, fruit, cinnamon, or nutmeg to enhance the flavor and keep your hydrating habit on the right track. Plus, tea has many potential health benefits other than just rehydrating you. It provides antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenol antioxidants to prevent cell damage and spruce up your skin from free radicals.

Tea can be a perfect hydration solution as long as you consume it in a moderate amount. Keeping control of your tea intake also makes sure the diuretic effect doesn’t affect your hydration. 

You might also be interested in our article debunking coffee myths.

What’s Better About Hydrating With Water?

Water is an inevitable source of energy for our daily life. We can go by without tea, but we can’t live without water. When water is absent in your body, your skin will be more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature aging.

Water is also the reason behind sweating. When stored in the middle layers of the skin, water will emerge to the surface in the form of sweat. As the sweat evaporates, it cools the body down.

Without water, you will experience digestive problems, constipation, and an acidic stomach. Your blood will also get thicker without enough water, causing high blood pressure.

Who Should Drink Tea For Hydration (And Why)?

You can drink tea to retain water as long as your body doesn’t react to caffeine negatively. Adding tea to your daily drinking habit mixes things up flavor-wise whenever you want to find something fun to replace the water once in a while. Sipping on hot tea is a stellar way to stay hydrated when it’s cold.

Who Should Drink Water For Hydration (And Why)?

Everyone can drink water for hydration. It’s the safest, purest form of liquid to keep you hydrated, especially for athletes likely to break a sweat. Athletes and people who are trained or work in intense working conditions have to drink more water to help the body retain more fluids.

Author

  • Oanh Nguyen

    Born and raised by a traditional mama-barista, Oanh is a typical Viet coffee aficionado who would spend her entire precious Sunday showing you how to categorize coffee beans just by the looks and smells. She enjoys writing copies about everything drink-related while sipping her favorite rosebud tea.