Does Diet Coke (or coffee, tea, Pepsi) ever turn to H2O in the body?

[Dennis S]

I know caffeine is a diuretic, which is a strike against tea, coffee, and cola. If they don't eventually turn to H20 so it can react with minerals and other substances properly, that's a double whammy, I think. I may consider giving them up if they don't become H20, or at least start drinking much more water.

[Paul F.]

While I am not trying to discourage the drinking of more water (I should do that myself...)...
Soda is not a "compound" requiring it to be "split" or chemically "turned into" water.. It's a mixture that is MOSTLY water.

Drinking it is still a net positive to hydration... just not as BIG a net positive because of the diuretic properties.

Now I open the floor to other folks who will talk about how bad Soda is for you...

[RAMd®d]

...that caffeine blocks the absorption of water.

The contention being that your body will absorb and use more water effectively without caffeine present.

But then, I heard that from the Internet, so I really don't know if it's true.

But also, I have to believe that the body can extract some H₂0 from just about any food or liquid that contain it.

[Lew Zealand]

Diet Coke, coffee, tea, etc. are ~99% water. There's no "turning into" anything. Your body has to absorb the water from these drinks like any other. The caffeine may serve as a diuretic and increase your kidneys' water output but you don't have some valve in your digestive system which takes caffeinated drinks and shunts them directly from the GI tract to the kidneys. They all take a ride through your bloodstream after they are absorbed in the GI tract.

[Lew Zealand]

RAMd®d wrote:
...that caffeine blocks the absorption of water.

The contention being that your body will absorb and use more water effectively without caffeine present.

But then, I heard that from the Internet, so I really don't know if it's true.

But also, I have to believe that the body can extract some H₂0 from just about any food or liquid that contain it.

If caffeine slows/blocks absorption of water, I'd assume that caffeine drinkers have diarrhea problems as they have excessive amounts of water going straight through their GI system.

[Chakravartin]

Huh?

They're almost entirely water.

Do you think the water gets locked away somehow just because someone adds sugar and colors it brown?

...

As for giving up soda, that's a great idea. The flavors, colors and sweeteners aren't doing your body any favors.

But tea? I wouldn't give that up. There's a lot more good stuff associated with tea than bad.

[mattkime]

if i drink enough of it its the same coming out but its kinda flat.

[btfc]

Mayo Clinic on coffee:

"Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffein...ks/AN01661


Also, under some circumstances sugars can cause issues also, especially in higher amounts:

"Osmotic diuretics
Compounds such as mannitol are filtered in the glomerulus, but cannot be reabsorbed. Their presence leads to an increase in the osmolarity of the filtrate. To maintain osmotic balance, water is retained in the urine.
Glucose, like mannitol, is a sugar that can behave as an osmotic diuretic. Unlike mannitol, glucose is commonly found in the blood. However, in certain conditions such as diabetes mellitus, the concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) exceeds the maximum reabsorption capacity of the kidney. When this happens, glucose remains in the filtrate, leading to the osmotic retention of water in the urine. Glucosuria causes a loss of hypotonic water and Na+ leading to a hypertonic state with signs of volume depletion such as: dry mucosa, hypotension, tachycardia, and decreased turgor of the skin. Use of some drugs, especially stimulants may also increase blood glucose and thus increase urination."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diuretic

[RAMd®d]

Now I open the floor to other folks who will talk about how bad Soda is for you...

I love soda.

I drink Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke, with an occasional imbibing of Sierra Mist, Diet Seven Up (No caffeine, Never had it, Never will) and Orange Crush. Oh, and if I'm being completely honest, there's IBS and Barq's root beers. And a grape soda, on occasion. And Fanta Red Creme.

But to minimize the negative effects of soda, I often cut them with a couple of healthy scoops of vanilla ice cream.

I drink a half- to one liter of water a day. Yeah, I know it should be more.

[Manlove]

I gave up smoking but you will have to prise my teacup away from my cold, dead fingers!