Does green tea dehydrate the body?
Green tea lovers reach for it for many reasons. It's an exceptionally powerful antioxidant, it speeds up the metabolism, and it provides a gentle energy lift while improving focus. Some people, however, hesitate to drink tea infusions out of concern about dehydration. Can green tea dehydrate the body in the same way as herbal infusions or coffee?
What is dehydration?
The human body is made up of around 70% water, and staying hydrated is one of the key ways to keep your body's water balance in check. Signs of dehydration can include weakness, dizziness, sluggishness, chronic fatigue, and weakened hair, skin and nails. It's no surprise, then, that everyone wants to make sure their body's water balance stays in check. Dehydrating products include certain diuretic herbs and coffee consumed in excessive amounts.
Green tea and dehydration
Many types of green tea, like coffee, yerba mate and guarana, contain caffeine. A cup of leaf tea contains less than half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, while powdered green matcha tea contains around 10% less than coffee. Caffeine consumed in large amounts can have a diuretic effect and lead to frequent trips to the bathroom, which equates to dehydration. That said, everything is fine in moderation. As long as you don't exceed the recommended maximum daily dose of 400mg for a healthy adult, there's no need to worry about dehydration. It's also worth remembering to drink mineral water – between 1 and 2 litres a day.
How can you reduce the risk of dehydration from green tea?
The only component of green tea that could potentially be responsible for dehydrating the body is its caffeine content (known in tea as theine). If you're particularly concerned about disrupting your body's water balance, or if you're prone to it, it's worth minimising this risk by choosing a type of green tea with a low caffeine content. Such teas include hojicha and kukicha. Hojicha is a type of green tea made through a process of roasting the tea leaves. This process gives hojicha not only a smoky, nutty aroma but also a minimal theine content. Kukicha, on the other hand, is a tea made from the stems and twigs of the tea plant rather than its leaves, which also have a slightly lower theine content. Itadakimasu (Japanese for "cheers")!
