Many people enjoy drinking water or barley tea at home and prefer beverages to water. But can these beverages replace the function of water for hydration? Let’s find out what alternatives to the water we can drink and what drinks we should avoid.
The Importance of Water
Water and air are two of the essential elements sustaining human life. Water makes up 70-90% of our body’s components. Without water, life cannot be maintained, and the proportion of water in the body decreases dramatically as we age. The recommended daily water intake is about 8-10 cups, based on a standard cup. Adhering to this recommended intake helps boost our body’s metabolism.
Flavorful Corn Silk Tea
Many people enjoy drinking flavorful corn silk tea instead of water. However, did you know that such beverages can temporarily quench thirst but can cause dehydration? Corn silk tea is made by boiling corn silk, cassia seeds, and other ingredients. The saponin ingredient helps reduce swelling but also causes body fluids to leak out, increasing the risk of dehydration.
Various Carbonated Water
One might think carbonated water, which contains no calories or sugar, can be consumed indefinitely. However, it’s not good for dental health. Carbonated water is water with carbon dioxide gas added, characterized by its weak acidity. However, this component can create holes in the enamel, the outer layer of the tooth. These holes can gradually enlarge, posing a risk of permanent tooth loss.
Sweet Fruit Juice
What happens if you drink fruit juice containing a lot of liquid fructose, like water? Liquid fructose is a mixture of liquid glucose and fructose. If you drink it excessively instead of water, it can lead to obesity or cerebrovascular diseases. The liquid fructose, which is digested and absorbed faster than other sugars, sticks well to the protein components in the blood, causing inflammation in the body.
Bitter Coffee
Beverages like coffee, black tea, and cola that contain a lot of caffeine can cause a deficiency of body fluids and minerals. Caffeine promotes diuretic action, increasing urine output and expelling minerals with it. It also induces gastric acid secretion. The gastric mucosa can be damaged if you consume a lot of caffeine, and gastric acid is secreted.
Carbonated Drinks
Are you drinking carbonated drinks instead of water? It would be best if you stopped drinking right now. Drinking more than two cups of carbonated drinks a day not only increases the risk of asthma but also has a high caffeine content, posing a risk of tooth decay. It is not suitable as a water substitute, and when you drink carbonated drinks, it is better to mix a little water or ice to neutralize the sugar in the carbonated drink and avoid holding it in your mouth for a long time.
Barley Tea
Many people also drink barley tea instead of water. It’s an everyday tea we can come across from a young age. Barley tea, often more palatable than water and has a savory taste, is a healthy tea that cleanses everything from the skin to waste in the body. It also helps with constipation and protects the gastric mucosa, balancing the body’s electrolytes.
Brown Rice Tea
Brown rice tea, which contains rice nutrients, is famous as a medicinal tea in oriental medicine. The difference between brown and white rice is that brown rice has the rice bran attached. Most of the nutrients beneficial to the human body are attached to the rice embryo, and the nutritional components of this rice bran are also the efficacy of brown rice tea. It prevents cancer, is good for constipation, and is particularly effective when drunk when dehydration or motion sickness is severe.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea is not commonly drunk instead of water, but it is one of the good teas for the body. Rooibos, a tea enjoyed by indigenous people in South Africa, is made by brewing rooibos, a conifer that grows in high-altitude areas. It does not contain caffeine, so it is also good to drink as a substitute for water. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals, which are suitable for the body.
Black Tea
Black tea is made from dried leaves. The components in the leaves are oxidized by the enzymes, giving them a red hue. Unlike green tea or pu-er tea, it does not undergo a sun-drying process, so it is characterized by oxidation by the enzymes in the leaves themselves. Black tea contains caffeine, which can cause insomnia, so it is unsuitable as a water substitute. It is a better beverage to enjoy occasionally as tea.
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