How much soda do you drink?

[DroopyTofu]

Caffine is also a dehydrant.

I only drink it when I go out to eat or with certain meals I have at home such as burgers. I used to drink 4 or more glasses of Coke at a restaurant, but a few years ago I started getting water and Coke to be healthier. Running Cross Country and Track has made me much more careful about what I put in my body. I drink more coke when I'm not in-season and generally drink much much less since I began running.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Doesn't soda actually increase your thirst? I generally find that while it does help for a short while, I do feel thirsty again much quicker than with water. I don't drink soda for dehydration though, ever. If truly dehydrated, always water. If simply active, still usually water.

Caffeine increases thirst. Many sodas contain caffeine, but many others do not. Caffeinated sodas have similar levels of caffeine as tea, about 1/3 as much as coffee.

It has been about a decade since I've had more than a couple sips of a caffeinated soda. As I said, when I drink soda I typically go with sprite or occasionally another fruit flavored soft drink. I never choose a cola.


Darker Colas are much worse for you. Not only do they typically contain more caffeine, but they also use Phosphoric rather than Citric Acid. Citric Acid is actually pretty good for you, but Phosphoric Acid certainly is not. How bad it is exactly is up for debate. It is known to dissolve enamel and promote cavities, and may well lead to lower bone density.

 

[Joecoolyo]

That makes sense. Am I correct that it is a short term relief though? (Meaning: Drinking soda is better than drinking nothing to stay hydrated for a short period of time.)

I would hazard guess no. The amount of stuff in soda that dehydrates you outweighs the actual water.

 

[Tecknojock]

I saw something that said that even caffeinated drinks were likely a net gain for hydration and alcoholic drinks amount to a net loss. That was several months ago though and I don't remember where I read that.

 

[sophie]

In water's case I remember reading that the max water you can drink without any adverse effects is about 1-1.5 quarts an hour. I do not see any normal person breaking that kind of a threshold, but I remember reading that atheletes frequently use sports drinks instead of water for this reason.

Actually a couple years ago a guy died from drinking too much water because part of the frat he was pledging for's bizarre initiation policy involved chugging like 2 gallons of the stuff.

 

[The_J]

That was because he drank so much water that his brain swelled up.

link.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/6776977/Inquest-hears-woman-lived-on-Coke

I'm honestly surprised that she didn't die earlier due to high blood pressure/heart attack.

I would expect that 4.5 - 8 litres a day of any drink would be harmful. Even water in that quantity would leech essential minerals out of your body.

You just have to refill enough minerals.
But might be a problem for the gastrointestinal tract.

 

[LucyDuke]

That makes sense. Am I correct that it is a short term relief though? (Meaning: Drinking soda is better than drinking nothing to stay hydrated for a short period of time.)

You'll feel better in the very short term, but you'll end up worse off than if you had drank nothing. So if you mean some soda now and some water very soon then yes, because the water is very soon. As far as your body is concerned you might as well skip the soda.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Actually a couple years ago a guy died from drinking too much water because part of the frat he was pledging for's bizarre initiation policy involved chugging like 2 gallons of the stuff.

I should have said nobody does it by accident, or simply when living ordinary life. But yeah, for something like that, sure.

You'll feel better in the very short term, but you'll end up worse off than if you had drank nothing. So if you mean some soda now and some water very soon then yes, because the water is very soon. As far as your body is concerned you might as well skip the soda.

OK, that makes sense. I've never actually tried drinking soda to truly help with thirst, but in a restaurant I've been thirsty when I've drank soda and I did feel better. Not sure how long that actually lasted though. I'm sure water was soon after.

 

[Skwink]

So if you were in a desert with nothing but a large bottle of Coke, would you be better off drinking it or just going on and hoping for water?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Caffine is also a dehydrant.

But not meaningfully so.

 

[LucyDuke]

Actually, it looks like I was wrong. The net effect is probably hydrating, although significantly less so than plain water.

 

[Hygro]

depends on your susceptibility to caffeine, however the sodium intake is also significant at dehydrating you. So to is the sugar.

 

[Disgustipated]

Yup, drinking soda will hydrate you more. Although to me, the sugar in the soda seems to make you thirstier, but that's another issue. If I'm doing sport activity, I'll certainly choose water over soda.

I don't drink soda right now. Although I used to. I gave up caffeine at the end of 2010. Although I still ingest a little caffeine in tea which I recently started drinking green tea again. Just one a day. I do miss soda a little. But once you're away from it, it's not too hard to stay away.

mmm Dr. Pepper and Mt. Dew I miss the most.

 

[Tabarnak]

So if you were in a desert with nothing but a large bottle of Coke, would you be better off drinking it or just going on and hoping for water?

Sugar from coke certainly helps to gain some energy.

 

[Antilogic]

Take a brief look at the actual numbers:

Remember that drinking seawater, which will actually dehydrate you, has roughly 3.5% by wt. salt. Most sodas often have ~50 mg per 12 oz. (~330 mL), or roughly 0.015% by wt. salt. It's not even comparable.

 

[ShahJahanII]

Actually, it looks like I was wrong. The net effect is probably hydrating, although significantly less so than plain water.

This.
It still contains water, but the caffeine reduces the effect.

 

[Berzerker]

Three or more cans a day, but not a huge amount

yikes, it'll kill ya in a few decades when the body can no longer get rid of sugar

the assault from sugar is driving the epidemic of diabetes, and God only knows what else - maybe cancer too.

Naturally the politicians subsidize the hell out of it while waging "drug wars"

hypocritical douchebags

 

[Lillefix]

Almost never. For the same reason I almost never drink alcohol. I prefer water.

 

[Murky]

Well, I know that the bad carbs from corn sugar will definitely cause weight gain if you don't get a lot of exercise to compensate. I've also read that the chemicals in diet soda aren't good for your health either. Best thing to do is avoid or drink minimal amounts of it. Just about every time I see an obese person at the convenience store they are buying a 32oz soda.

 

[cardgame]

Several liters per week

Haven't gained any weight, haven't gotten diabeetus, and once I went maybe a week without drinking any water. Didn't dehydrate to death.

I quit soda during basketball seasons in 7th, 8th and 9th grade; my athletic performance vastly increased since I stopped getting stitches in my side, but other than that, I noticed no difference in wellness.