Juice vs Water

I don't drink water - I drink coffee, tea, fruit juice, and sometimes soda. Since I'm not dehydrated, I must be getting plenty of water in what I do drink.

Water has just water.

Juice has water and sugar. Sometimes lots of sugar. Juice can also act as a diuretic which is anti-hydrating.

If breastmilk is best for babies then water is what is best for the rest of us. Course...That doesn't mean I am volunteering to give up my coffee.

HAHAHA.. Sounds like some of the arguments I have found myself in over the years. My my, aren't we being technical? LOL

Yes, there is less "water" in juice than in water. Water is H2O. Juice is H2O with other atoms mixed in. So, there by definition, in the same amount of volume, be LESS H20 molecules, since some of that other volume will be filled by molecules of "juice" substances... unless... those other molecules fit in between the molecules of H20. Right? That's what happens to some degree, when we dissolve things into liquids, right?

But, even if we assume that they DON'T dissolve into the spaces BETWEEN the H20 molecules (so that they must take up additional space in the container), it would be such a small amount of space that it wouldn't be "worth" counting for the purposes of saying "you're not getting 8 oz of water out of that juice".

But, to find the TRUE (technical) answer, you'd need to consult a chemist to find out if the particles in the OJ dissolve into the spaces between the H20 molecules or not. Probably has something to do with the "saturation point" as well.

Juice and anything else with sugar (natural or added) dehydrates your body. While there may be water in it (no, not as much. Water is water, juice is not), it sucks the hydration and actually has the opposite effect water does. It doesn't matter if juice has water, it is not a substitute...or even a remotely close one. It could have the exact same amount of water (which it does not) and it would STILL not be an alternative to water.

My understanding is that juice, milk, and tea all count towards your daily "8" glasses of water. Of course there is something different in it than just water, but the whole amount of it that you drink counts as ounces towards your water intake. but you should be careful because lots of calories also come with those ounces as opposed to ZERO calories in water. Tea also has zero as long as you don't add any sweeteners.......

Hope that helped you to understand.

Edited** I just have to say for the people who say it doesn't count as water to drink juice, that when I was prego, my Dr. told me that it did. I don't think that the sugar in it would have so much of an affect to de-hydrate you.....LOL, but that is just my opinion. I don't think that it is good for you to drink only juice and no water.....the difference between coffee and juice is the caffeine.

I agree with Ellis and Stacey. Even fresh-squeezed OJ has natural sugars in it, which can dehydrate you, which would negate the positive effect of any water in the juice. And if you're drinking, say, an 8-oz glass of OJ with pulp, then it's not 8 full ounces of liquid--some of it is solid pulp.

If this question came about from an argument over drinking enough water, maybe you can have a glass of water AND a glass of OJ? Also, years ago before all the flavored waters came out, I had a friend who would add just a small amount of juice to his bottle of water, to make it have a good taste so he would drink more.

I would say that the amount of water may be close in each, it's still two different liquids... Water is not the same and OJ by any means... You are not getting your 8 oz of water by drinking OJ. Not sure why this came up, but something I like to use when saying water isn't like any other drink when people say it's still liquid is; would you take a bath in OJ and feel clean afterward. Most of the time I use this example when people say soda isn't bad for you... Water is different, natural and pure (pretty pure anyway).

I think your SO is thinking about how when you buy frozen concentrated OJ, you add water to it, thus OJ is mostly water. He may be right, in that OJ is made mostly of water. But it also has a lot of sugar and vitamins, things water doesn't have. So it's not a "substitute" for water by any stretch of the imagination. Does he know that cabbage is ALSO mostly water? How about a nice, tall, refreshing glass of cabbage? So is chicken stock. Many, many foods and drinks are *mostly* made of water (heck, most of this WORLD is *mostly* made of water), but, sorry, a glass of OJ does NOT count as a glass of water (it is, however, counted as a serving of fruit), the same way I can't count my morning coffee as a glass of water.

I totally agree with you - it doesn't even make sense. Plus, if it DID have that much water in it, it doesn't digest like water with all the sugar and other ingredients in it.

According to my Prevention magazine you can count Juice and other liquids as part of your water intake. However it is not the same as having a glass of water, and the sugars in the juice could add unnecessary weight and calories. I really don't think it would be exactly the same water content for sure!