Here are the 4 drinks that are best avoided when it’s (too) hot

As summer approaches, all health tips and tricks are welcome. Even more so when we know that we could face a new wave of heatwave during the summer of 2024. When temperatures start to rise, The first piece of advice given to everyone is to hydrate. If drinking water is obvious, we can however wonder if other types of drinks such as coffee, fruit juices or sodas are really hydrating.

Dietitian and head of Thermal Baths Nutritional Center from Brides-les-Bains, Nathalie Negro has just answered the question. It reminds us that our body is composed of 60/65% water and that water carried by food contributes to our hydration but is not sufficient. “It is estimated that an adult requires at least 1.4 liters of water per day for a woman and 1.7 liters for a man. But in conditions where we wouldn’t speak, we wouldn’t move, with a particular temperature… So it would be more like 2 liters per person in reality” she specifies. Here is a list of 4 ingredients to avoid drinking when it’s too hot.

1. Sparkling water

It might seem logical that sparkling water is as hydrating as water. However, it is not the case ! “Sparkling waters are often loaded with sodium, and the latter tends to retain extracellular water. As a reminder, there are two compartments that we must hydrate: the intracellular and the extracellular. The risk with excess carbonated water is to come create extra-cellular dehydration” explains the expert.

Sparkling water is water that contains dissolved carbon dioxide, which gives it a fizzy or effervescent taste. Carbon dioxide is added to water under pressure, allowing it to dissolve. When the pressure decreases, like when you open a bottle of sparkling water, the carbon dioxide is released in the form of bubbles, creating that fizzy feeling in your mouth. “LSparkling water tends to irritate the lining of the esophagus, so we advise not to exceed 50cl per day.” adds Nathalie Negro

2. Tea and coffee

If drinks like tea and coffee are consumed in too large quantities, they do not have a hydrating function. “Beyond that, the caffeine contained in these drinks has a excessive diuretic action : we then eliminate too much water from our body, and we retain less of it, in fact we hydrate less well.” explains the dietician.

Only tea, diluted to the extreme can then regain its moisturizing function and therefore be beneficial when it is hot. “One option may be to dilute further: a tea bag in 500ml of water for example. We drink more, always with only one dose consumed” we learn.

3. Herbal teas

Herbal teas cannot be the only source of fluids for hydration. It is recommended to also drink water throughout the day to maintain optimal hydration. Additionally, avoid very diuretic herbal teas, such as those containing bearberry, as they may have the opposite effect and contribute to dehydration.

“For infusions, you need to vary as much as possible. And for diuretic or draining herbal teas, you need to be vigilant: no more than one per day and not over a long period of time. If you consume them daily, you risk dehydration” says Nathalie Negro.

4. Alcohol

No drink is hydrating, whether wine or even beer, which we often wrongly think is thirst-quenching when consumed very cold. “Beer dehydrates. It prevents the production of the anti-diuretic hormone which helps regulate water conservation in the kidneys” explains Nathalie Negro.

Generally speaking, alcohol is considered a diuretic, meaning it can increase urine production and lead to loss of body fluids. Therefore, alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration if not compensated by adequate hydration. So when you drink alcohol, it’s important to also drink water to help compensate for fluid loss and maintain proper hydration.

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