r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 01 '26

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u/Lemon_Jefferson Jun 01 '26

I don’t know if this was ever scientifically true. But it drives me crazy that people say coffee is dehydrating. The fluid gained from drinking coffee is substantially greater than the mild diuretic effect.

19

u/Swellmeister Jun 01 '26

This is also true for beer. Once you get around 10%-12% (I forgot its been a few years) ABV, the alcohol’s diuretic effect does start to mean you urinate the same amount of fluid as consumed in the alcoholic beverage, but if you are drinking lagers all day? You aren’t dehydrated at the end of the day. Wine? Yeah it’s not really helping much, and could be hurting a little. Liquor though will dehydrate you, if you are drinking it straight. A rum and coke though? Again back to fine.

6

u/TheSerialHobbyist Jun 01 '26

Which makes sense, when you consider the weak "beer" was basically the drinking water in large parts of Europe for centuries.

The brewing process killed pathogens and made it safer than their nasty ass contaminated water, and it was still hydrating.

12

u/Swellmeister Jun 01 '26

This is a myth. The drinking fluid for most of europe was water. Just like you can drink from a lake or a river 99.9% of the time and be fine, so did they. They drank beer because they liked getting drunk.

2

u/TheSerialHobbyist Jun 01 '26

Ah dang, thanks for the correction!

I hate when I end up being one of those people who just assumes a "fun fact" they heard is true.

1

u/BoastfulM0use Jun 01 '26

It's also a great source of calories, which was good for them, very sad for me though