Is Coke a Diuretic?

[youngsyr]

Imagine the scenario, you are stranded in the middle of the Sahara desert (or hypothetical place with no water, no food and no hope of rescue) with only a tent and a limitless supply of diet coke (i.e. no sugar for energy).

What eventually kills you, dehydration or starvation?

PS: We are ignoring the effects of exposure in this scenario (hence the tent).

[Marf]

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

[sleep envy]

caffeine induces diuretic effects

[Neil_H]

The caffeine would do it.

[youngsyr]

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

[Vixpy1]

I was told that despite its properties it would still hydrate you because of the water content

[neil_bolton]

Vixpy1 said:

I was told that despite its properties it would still hydrate you because of the water content

You generally pee out more than you drink overall though less the amount naturally used by the body (in my experience).

[fastfreddy]

Almost anything is better than seawater in those circumstances.

[Ray Mears] Just rig up an evaporator/condenser contraption using the plastic bag you carried the Coke in and hey preso! Pure water! [/Ray Mears]

[Neil_H]

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

[sleep envy]

neil_bolton said:

You generally pee out more than you drink overall though

but you lose water through perspiration and moisture in your breath

surely if that were the case you'd dry out?

[youngsyr]

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

[neil_bolton]

That was what i meant - that as well as peeing;

We gain fluid from food don't forget - and we're also 80% or something water anyway in the body if I'm right

If we drank/ingested surely Diuretic we would slowly lose that balance.

I know this because my grandfather was on Frusimide for ages to get rid of excess fluid in the body for ages before he died and that is a Diuretic - he peed like a horse and lost nearly 4 stone in weight.

Hence my point

[sleep envy]

neil_bolton said:

that was what i meant

sorry, I may be having a thick moment

if you continually lost more fluid (by whatevere means) that you took on board you'd dry out, no?

[neil_bolton]

sleep envy said:

neil_bolton said:

that was what i meant

sorry, I may be having a thick moment

if you continually lost more fluid (by whatevere means) that you took on board you'd dry out, no?

You'd struggle - your organs would shut down first (kidney's if I'm right), also your brain goes a bit doolally - my granddad certainly did when he went into shutdown mode in his last days.

I'm no doctor, I'll say that

[Neil_H]

youngsyr said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

I don't think that's true. That would suggest you piss away around 600ml of water for every can.

The caffeine would have an effect but only after drinking a lot of it, and it wouldn't be comparable to the effect of drinking sea water.

[neil_bolton]

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

I don't think that's true. That would suggest you piss away around 600ml of water for every can.

The caffeine would have an effect but only after drinking a lot of it, and it wouldn't be comparable to the effect of drinking sea water.

Your problem with Sea water is the Salt level. That would break the body first, not dehydration.

[Neil_H]

neil_bolton said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

I don't think that's true. That would suggest you piss away around 600ml of water for every can.

The caffeine would have an effect but only after drinking a lot of it, and it wouldn't be comparable to the effect of drinking sea water.

Your problem with Sea water is the Salt level. That would break the body first, not dehydration.

Before that would be diuresis as the body tries to get rid of the salt, until you become dehydrated to the point that the kidneys can't function properly and you start getting salt toxicity.

AFAIK (IANAD)

Edited by Neil_H on Wednesday 28th October 11:39

[neil_bolton]

Neil_H said:

neil_bolton said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

I don't think that's true. That would suggest you piss away around 600ml of water for every can.

The caffeine would have an effect but only after drinking a lot of it, and it wouldn't be comparable to the effect of drinking sea water.

Your problem with Sea water is the Salt level. That would break the body first, not dehydration.

Before that would be diuresis as the body tries to get rid of the salt, until you become dehydrated to the point that the kidneys can't function properly and you start getting salt toxicity.

AFAIK (IANAD)

Ah, I was nearly right

Lesson here kids: Don't do Salt Water.

[10 Pence Short]

neil_bolton said:

Lesson here kids: Don't do Salt Water.

Is that why Highland Spring sponsor the World Bukkake Championships?

[youngsyr]

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Neil_H said:

youngsyr said:

Marf said:

Dehydration. Your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity level of the drink. Plus caffiene is itself a diuretic.

Now that is interesting. So, in that case, which is worse in a scenario where you are at risk of dehydration: coke or sea water?

Coke, sea water would be much worse for you. Coke would at least prolong your life more than drinking nothing at all. Sea water would actually shorten it, as the body has to pass more water to get rid of the salt than the water content of the sea water.

How can coke prolong your life if "your body expends twice the water contained in a can of coke in order to deal with the acidity of the drink"?

I don't think that's true. That would suggest you piss away around 600ml of water for every can.

The caffeine would have an effect but only after drinking a lot of it, and it wouldn't be comparable to the effect of drinking sea water.

For coke to prolong your life though, it would have to give you a net gain in water, wouldn't it?

Wouldn't that mean that in the above scenario you would starve before you died of dehydration?