Hey everyone, I know it is quite random and not related to sexual health like many of the questions here, but I am curious if anyone has had a similar experience as me and I am not quite sure how to search this on google. About 8 months ago I began drinking tea (♥ the best thing ever), and I probably drink about 4-6 8 oz cups of it a day maybe (2-3 cups in a 16 oz mug). Anyways, I used to never drink much liquids throughout the day and I had to force myself to drink sometimes because I was never thirsty. Since I started drinking tea, if I don't have my daily tea, or even sometimes when I do, I'm thirsty all the time now! I'm not sure if it could be the caffeine possibly dehydrating me (although I drink green tea (lower caffeine) and sometimes herbal teas without caffeine, and I have heard tea is overall hydrating regardless of caffeine), or if my body has just adapted to much more fluids and is used to working with more than it was before? I'm mostly asking out of curiosity... I don't believe its a symptom of a health problem or anything... it's just interesting. So has anyone ever experienced something strange like this? Thanks ^_^
Do you also lose a lot of fluid throughout the day? Such as sweating and peeing a lot? Also, do you drink anything else throughout a day? Even though tea is generally hydrating, it still is a lot less hydrating than sources such as water. The caffeine content does make you thirsty, even if there is a little of it. If you are consuming your RDA of fluid throughout the day and still feel thirsty though, then I would recommend seeing a doctor.
Coffee and tea are not just dehydrating in a biochemical sense, they're also diuretic - making your kidneys work overtime and producing more urine, meaning you lose moe water that way. I personally find this especially noticeable with green tea, though I've never that problem with other herbs (peppermint, chamomile, thyme, etc.) or fruit tisanes. Herbal teas (without sugar) are still better for you than plain water, though, because they provide some electrolytes that you need to keep your water balance. That's probably what was meant when you read that drinking tea is "hydrating". (If you're actually sweating a lot, I'd switch to strongly diluted fruit juice with a pinch of salt though. Sweating costs your body a lot of electrolytes, and you can actually get ill if you drink just plain water and don't replace what you lost. You'll notice that plain water or teas don't feel like they're quenching your thirst anymore, at that point.) However, if you really find yourself needing to drink much more than 2-3 litres (without losing much to sweat), then you need to see a doctor. Persistent thirst can be a sign of diabetes, for example.
What Counts as Water? How to Stay Hydrated Tea is apparently hydrating.... "The hydrating effect outweighs the diuretic effect." According to WedMD it counts similar to water toward your daily fluid intake. I guess I'll see if it continues! I do pee a lot more often but I feel that's expected. I just find it interesting that as I drink more fluids I feel like my body needs more! I'm wondering if my sense of thirst has just been rejuvenated. I don't really expect that I have diabetes but who knows. A test two years ago had my blood sugar levels normal.
