Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. It can occur after sweating heavily, exercising, spending time in hot weather, or dealing with vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever. Common warning signs include increased thirst, dry mouth, dark-colored urine, tiredness, dizziness, and urinating less often. When you are already dehydrated, choosing the right beverages can help your body recover and restore lost fluids.
While water is generally an excellent choice for hydration, not every drink is equally useful when your fluid levels are low. Some beverages can increase fluid loss, while others may contain large amounts of sugar or caffeine that make them less suitable when you are trying to rehydrate. Here are the drinks worth limiting or avoiding when you are dehydrated—and what you can choose instead.
1. Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol is one of the main beverages to avoid during dehydration. Alcohol can interfere with the body’s normal fluid-regulation system by reducing the release of vasopressin, a hormone that helps the kidneys retain water. As a result, alcohol can increase urination and contribute to further fluid loss.
If you are already experiencing symptoms of dehydration, beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits are therefore poor choices for replacing lost fluids. Cleveland Clinic and the NHS both advise avoiding alcohol when dehydrated.
Instead, choose water or an appropriate oral rehydration solution, particularly if dehydration has occurred because of vomiting or diarrhea.
2. Energy Drinks With High Caffeine
Energy drinks can be particularly unhelpful when you are dehydrated because they may contain substantial amounts of caffeine. Caffeine has a diuretic effect, meaning it can increase urine production. Mayo Clinic notes, however, that the fluid in ordinary caffeinated beverages generally offsets this effect at typical caffeine levels. Very high doses consumed at once are more likely to increase urine production.
This means you do not necessarily have to avoid every caffeinated drink simply because you are mildly dehydrated. However, highly caffeinated energy drinks are not an ideal first choice for rehydration, especially if you are not accustomed to large amounts of caffeine.
3. Highly Sugary Soft Drinks
Regular soda and other heavily sugar-sweetened drinks are not the best way to rehydrate. Healthdirect specifically recommends avoiding sugary drinks when you are dehydrated, while Mayo Clinic notes that water is generally the preferred beverage for maintaining hydration.
A sugary drink may provide fluid, but it should not replace water or a medically appropriate oral rehydration solution when substantial fluid and electrolyte losses have occurred.
4. Very Caffeinated Coffee or Tea
Coffee and tea are more complicated than they may seem. Moderate amounts of caffeine can still contribute to your overall daily fluid intake, according to Mayo Clinic. Therefore, it is an oversimplification to say that every cup of coffee or tea will dehydrate you.
However, consuming large amounts of caffeine—particularly if you are already dehydrated—is not a good strategy for replacing fluids. MedlinePlus identifies caffeine as a diuretic, and the NHS recommends avoiding caffeinated drinks when treating dehydration.
If you are trying to recover from dehydration, water is a simpler and more reliable first choice.
5. Alcoholic Cocktails With Caffeine
Cocktails that combine alcohol with caffeinated mixers can be especially unsuitable when you are dehydrated. Alcohol can promote fluid loss, while caffeine can increase urine production, particularly when consumed in large amounts. Cleveland Clinic specifically cautions that adding caffeinated products to alcoholic beverages can increase the risk of dehydration.
If dehydration is already an issue, skip the cocktail and focus on water or another appropriate rehydration beverage.
6. Drinks That Are Very High in Sugar
It is not only soda that can be problematic. Other heavily sweetened beverages can also be poor choices when you need to replace fluids. Healthdirect advises people with dehydration to avoid sugary drinks, including sugary soft drinks and some sports drinks.
There is an important distinction, however: oral rehydration solutions are specifically formulated to replace fluids and electrolytes and are different from ordinary sugary beverages. They can be useful when dehydration is caused by significant fluid losses, such as vomiting or diarrhea.
What Should You Drink Instead?
For ordinary mild dehydration, water is usually the simplest choice. Take regular sips rather than waiting until you are extremely thirsty.
If you have lost significant amounts of fluid through vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating, an oral rehydration solution may be more appropriate because it supplies water along with important electrolytes. The NHS and Healthdirect both recommend oral rehydration solutions in situations where the body has lost substantial amounts of fluid and salts.
If you are dehydrated because of intense exercise or prolonged exposure to heat, replacing electrolytes may also be important. The appropriate beverage depends on how much fluid and salt you have lost and the underlying cause of the dehydration.
When to Seek Medical Help
Dehydration can become serious if it is not corrected. Seek medical attention if symptoms become severe, particularly if you experience confusion, fainting, persistent dizziness, very little or no urination, extreme weakness, or difficulty keeping fluids down. Severe dehydration can become life-threatening.
For most everyday cases, the key is simple: replace lost fluids and avoid relying on alcohol, highly caffeinated beverages, and heavily sugary drinks while you recover. When in doubt, water is a good place to start, while oral rehydration solutions can be useful when significant fluid and electrolyte losses are involved.
Sources:
- Mayo Clinic — Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?
- Cleveland Clinic — Why Does Alcohol Dehydrate You?
- NHS — Dehydration
- MedlinePlus — Dehydration
- MedlinePlus — Caffeine in the Diet
Website operated and published by:
FAB LTD
Ground Floor, 14 Stewart Dr.
Berea, East London 5241
South Africa
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Farrah™. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Dr. Farrah™ are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Dr. Farrah™ in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Dr. Farrah™ or others appearing and are protected under the First Amendment.
Dr. Farrah™ is a highly experienced Licensed Medical Doctor certified in evidence-based clinical nutrition, not some enthusiast, formulator, or medium promoting the wild and unrestrained use of nutrition products for health issues without clinical experience and scientific evidence of therapeutic benefit. Dr. Farrah™ has personally and keenly studied everything she recommends, and more importantly, she’s closely observed the reactions and results in a clinical setting countless times over the course of her career involving the treatment of over 150,000 patients.
Dr. Farrah™ promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Dr. Farrah™ does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Dr. Farrah™ does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Dr. Farrah™ hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
