Caffeine and alcohol informational

Originally posted by Stacie on the Califoria board: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060809/news_lz1f09focus.html Interesting article, I see alot of talk about WHAT kind of fluids we need to be drinking... August 9, 2006 QUESTION: I have questions about caffeine and alcohol. I read on the Web that caffeinated beverages are diuretics and that when you drink an 8-ounce glass of a caffeinated beverage, such as tea, coffee or caffeinated sodas, your body will lose 12 ounces of water. That would mean that these beverages are dehydrating instead of hydrating. This claim made little sense to me, but there were "experts" on that blog who agreed. Can you tell me if this is true? And where does alcohol rank as a diuretic? O.C., Boston ANSWER: First, a word about "experts" on blogs. I would be extremely wary of those claiming expertise. Some will be legit, but you have to be on guard for the posers. Have your logic filters running, and check out credentials before you follow any advice. Cross check recommendations with other resources, being sure that what is said has been restated by a different individual in a different context. Many times people cut and paste items on the Internet; multiple appearances of a particular fact may be nothing more than a misleading echo. As for diuretics, they are substances that increases urine output. By this definition, even water could be considered a diuretic. Caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, but caffeinated beverages such as those you cite would not draw more water out of the body than they contribute. If, however, you were to take caffeine in an over-the-counter medication, such as NoDoz, or in an herbal dietary supplement such as guarana, mate or cola nut, it would make sense to be well hydrated. Hydration is the key. The Institute of Medicine recently established the Daily Reference Intake (DRI) for water. The guidelines state that adequate hydration is a daily intake of 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men. Those who are active or live in hot climates may need to consume more. About 80 percent of the total should come from drinking water and beverages - including caffeinated beverages - and the rest from food. Vegetables and fruits, for example, are mostly water by weight. Alcohol also has a mild diuretic effect, but it works in a different way. One of its effects is to inhibit the release of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), a hormone that limits the amount of urine produced in the body. When alcohol is around, less ADH is released, which translates to more urine leaving the body. The effects occur in about 20 minutes - a fact any beer drinker can affirm. This diuretic effect plays an interesting role in how alcohol affects us. The effects someone feels depend on how high the blood concentration is of alcohol's metabolic byproducts. The body processes alcohol at a certain rate, and it uses fluids as a storage queue for the byproducts that are awaiting processing and elimination. As a result, the diuretic effect of alcohol slows the elimination of these metabolic byproducts and exaggerates the consequences of drinking too much. Tolerance to alcohol is said to be weight-related; the larger you are, the more you can tolerate. This is not so much because larger individuals metabolize alcohol faster; it is because a larger body has a greater blood