The very health-conscious loll out of bed in the morning, get into their running shoes and drink the obligatory glass of water before the sprint. For many, however, morning coffee is the first drink. It is not only the taste that is convincing, but also the stimulating and performance-enhancing effect of coffee. Tastes good, feels good – but how good are drinks like coffee and the like really for our fluid balance?

People should consume approx. 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day.

For a long time, it was commonly believed that coffee does not help to hydrate the body, but rather causes additional fluid loss due to the diuretic effect of caffeine.

Caffeine in tea, cocoa and coffee

Caffeine or 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine is the most frequently consumed pharmacologically active substance in the world. The purine alkaloid caffeine belongs to the same class of active ingredients as theophylline in tea and theobromine in cocoa, although tea and cocoa enjoy a better reputation than coffee. Caffeine is found in the leaves, seeds and fruits of many plant species. The tea bush, the coffee bush and the maté bush have the highest content here.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, making you more alert, more attentive and better able to concentrate. Caffeine breakdown products can dilate the blood vessels, while theobromine increases the volume of urine. This led to the practice of not including coffee in the daily amount drunk. However, studies have shown that the effect of coffee on fluid balance hardly differs from that of water. If you drink coffee, you excrete up to 84 percent of the liquid you drink in the course of the day through your urine.

If you drink water, on the other hand, the amount excreted is 81 percent. Hardly any difference. The short-term increase in the kidneys’ filtering function caused by the caffeine, which leads to increased urine excretion, quickly returns to normal.

The morning coffee can therefore be added to the fluid balance without hesitation, and you are welcome to add a cup or two more. After all, drinking coffee has other benefits to offer in addition to hydrating the body and keeping the mind alert.

Trendy topic: The acid-base balance

Recently, the search for hidden calories, fats and bad things for the cholesterol level in food and drinks is not the only thing they are looking for. It must now also be the acid-base balance that could be out of balance.

The coffee opponents found in the base faction certainly have arguments against coffee as a beverage. Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which has a weak acidic effect and can cause heartburn and irritation of the gastrointestinal tract in sensitive people. However, chlorogenic acid is also responsible for some of the health-promoting effects of coffee. It is an antioxidant and protects against free radicals.

If you test your urine after drinking coffee, a PH indicator paper will show that the urine contains more acid. This led to the hasty conclusion that coffee causes an acidic environment in the body. Exactly the opposite is the case. Drinking coffee helps the body to excrete more of the acids already present. Coffee, like green tea or vegetables, is therefore a valuable source of alkaline.

Coffee and diseases

For a long time, coffee was considered a problem for gout, as the caffeine it contains is structurally similar to purine. This is needed for cell formation. However, it is now known that caffeine is not metabolized in the body to uric acid. On the contrary, there are now even studies that describe a positive correlation between coffee consumption and the excretion of uric acid. This means that coffee is now even permitted as a drink as part of nutritional therapy for gout. Studies now even show that coffee can reduce the risk of gout.

Coffee is not everything

For example, you could do without the glass of water after your espresso to balance out the supposedly acidic environment or to “dilute” the uric acid. However, coffee is still a stimulant that can be included in the balance and can be beneficial to health when consumed in moderation. However, it is better not to cover your daily fluid requirements with coffee alone.

If you like something warm in the morning or need energy in between meals, you have many options.

Alternatives in the morning

Water is the ideal means of transportation for all processes in the body and can also be drunk hot with a dash of lemon and a spoonful of honey. There are also various types of tea that do not contain stimulants. Herbal teas are now available for every ailment and every state of mind, they are tasty and their often pleasant aroma is not only pleasing to the palate. Fruit teas are more refreshing and may still contain some of the vitamins and minerals found in the fruit. Rosehip tea, for example, contains so much vitamin C that it does not lose its medicinal properties even when brewed

If you like it a little heartier and need a kick to perk you up, you can reach for the trendy drink of the city dweller. The bone broth. Marketed as a new beauty elixir and health all-rounder, it is also said to perk you up in the morning. It was already known in the past that soup revives tired spirits. So “Bone Broth” doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it still tastes good and gives the body a fluid bonus.

The variety makes the difference

As different as the tastes are, so are the ways of providing your body with sufficient fluids. The main focus should be on water. It is inexpensive, calorie-free and available everywhere. It is also needed for almost all bodily functions. If you are looking for more flavor or content, you can also reach for coffee – it has now lost its bad reputation and is also considered a beverage in the context of liquid accounting. Nevertheless, coffee is also a stimulant and is not suitable for covering the entire daily fluid requirement of 1.5 to 2 liters. Fruit or herbal tea is better, and if you want to be particularly hip, a bone broth.