Question 1

Does coffee dehydrate you?

Accepted Answer

No — at normal amounts coffee does not dehydrate you. In the Beverage Hydration Index study (Maughan et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2016), coffee was not significantly different from plain water at the 2-hour mark, so it counts toward your daily fluid intake.

Question 2

Does beer count as water?

Accepted Answer

In the study, a single lager beer (~4%) was about the same as water at 2 hours. But alcohol is a diuretic, and several drinks will dehydrate you, so don't rely on beer to hydrate.

Question 3

What hydrates better than water?

Accepted Answer

In the study, milk and oral rehydration solutions retained the most fluid. Of the everyday drinks in this calculator, milk is the standout (hydrating about 50% better than water), and orange juice is directionally better (a small but significant difference vs water).

Question 4

Do sports drinks hydrate better than water?

Accepted Answer

Not in this study. The sports drink was not significantly different from plain water at 2 hours, so for everyday hydration it offers no measurable advantage over water.

Does Coffee, Beer & Soda Count as Water?

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