Feeling thirsty? These common foods and drinks might be the cause

Nutrition experts share what’s actually happening and offer practical hydration tips.

It’s hot out there. When temperatures climb, staying hydrated gets a little more complicated, especially if your go-to summer foods happen to be the ones that increase your body’s fluid needs, trigger thirst, or cause you to lose a little more water than usual. While for most healthy adults, food alone doesn’t cause true dehydration, it is helpful to know what the science and experts say about which foods may have you reaching for your water bottle more often, particularly on the hottest days of the year.

Meet Our Expert

• Sandra Arevalo, MPH, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FAND, registered nutritionist, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and director of community health and wellness of Jacob’s Family Pride Wellness Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital
• Beth Goodridge, RD, registered dietitian with Kaiser Permanente in Northern California

Related: 7 of the Best Hydrating Foods to Eat, According to Nutritionists

How What You Eat and Drink Affects Hydration

Dehydration happens when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. This typically happens through sweating, illness, or simply not drinking enough throughout the day. A handful of pretzels won’t cause you to become dehydrated, but some foods can leave you feeling thirstier than usual and even increase your fluid needs.

“There is no food that dehydrates,” says Sandra Arevalo, MPH, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FAND. “Some foods help you release water from your body, increasing urine production. They are called diuretics. On the other hand, we have high-sodium foods such as chips, canned foods, and processed meals, which increase the concentration of sodium in the blood. The body, to maintain the right electrolyte balance, retains water to dilute the blood. Diets that are high in protein also require more water to excrete waste products.”

Foods and Drinks That Can Make You Thirsty

Salty Foods

Think: chips and pretzels, processed meats, fast food, canned soups

Sodium is probably the most well-known hydration influencer. When you eat a high-sodium meal, your body works to dilute that sodium by holding onto water, which is part of why you feel thirsty after a salty snack.

“After eating a salty meal, sodium is absorbed into the blood, causing an increase in the concentration of sodium in the blood,” explains Beth Goodridge, RD, registered dietitian with Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. “The body doesn’t like anything too concentrated in the blood, so the surrounding cells donate their water to help dilute the extra sodium in the blood.  At the same time, the body has a complex system for detecting changes in blood volume.  These systems notice when the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, and trigger hormones that make us feel thirsty.  As little as a 2-3 percent change in blood sodium concentration can trigger a thirst response.”

That doesn’t mean you need to ditch the chips and guacamole or skip the deli meat—but you should pair salty meals and snacks with fluids like a big glass of water.  

Foods and Drinks High in Added Sugar

Think: soda, candy, sweetened drinks, certain breakfast pastries

Added sugar affects hydration in a similar way to sodium. “Eating foods with added sugars affects the body the same way that sodium does when it comes to hydration,” says Goodridge. She explains that eating a sweet dessert or drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage causes an increase in the amount of sugar in the blood.  Fluid from the surrounding cells moves into the blood to help dilute the higher concentration of sugar.  And the kidneys then help eliminate the extra sugar in the urine.

Even though a soda or other sweetened beverage contains water, the sugar load can offset some of that hydrating benefit, which is one reason reaching for water and unsweetened drinks first is a smart habit. It’s also worth noting that the temptation to reach for sugary options tends to peak exactly when hydration matters most: recent research found that rising temperatures lead people to consume more added sugar through soft drinks and frozen desserts. This means summer is an especially important time to be mindful of the swap.

Alcoholic Beverages

Think: beer, wine, cocktails

Alcohol is one of the few substances that can genuinely interfere with how the body regulates fluid. It suppresses the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), the hormone responsible for maintaining fluid balance in the body. It normally works by telling your kidneys to conserve water, but when it’s suppressed, the body will flush out more fluid, which is why drinking alcohol tends to make you pee more.

“Having a couple of alcoholic drinks at dinner will result in the suppression of ADH, but less rapidly than consuming alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach,” says Goodridge. “The strength of the alcoholic drink also influences its dehydrating effects. Stronger alcoholic drinks, such as hard alcohol, have a greater dehydrating effect than a weaker alcoholic drink, such as a light beer.”

Moderate drinking, paired with consistent water intake, isn’t likely to leave most healthy adults significantly dehydrated if you’re intentional about it. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water is a good way to do this.

Food and Drinks With Mild Diuretic Compounds

Think: chocolate, coffee, black tea, hibiscus.

Caffeine has a diuretic effect, meaning it can prompt the kidneys to release a bit more water than usual. However, that effect is mild, especially for regular caffeine consumers whose bodies have adapted to it.

“The amount of caffeine in coffee-flavored sweets is minuscule and will not lead to dehydration. We typically think of caffeine as a diuretic; however, it turns out that isn’t always the case,” explains Goodridge. Regular consumption of caffeine up to 300 mg per day (about 16 ounces of coffee) does not significantly dehydrate the body.  Larger caffeine consumption of more than 500 mg (4 or more cups of coffee) in a short period of time, however, can cause a diuretic effect.  Bottom line is habitual mild caffeine consumption will not lead to dehydration.”

There are also some common fruits, herbs, and vegetables that have a mild diuretic impact. Think celery, parsley, lemon, and cranberries, but like when you enjoy a piece of chocolate or a coffee-flavored dessert, they won’t meaningfully impact the hydration status of most people.

Feeling thirsty after eating certain foods is normal. But if you’re experiencing persistent or excessive thirst that isn’t explained by your diet, exercise, or hot weather, talk to a healthcare provider, as it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Protein-Rich Meals

Think: large steak dinners, high-protein restaurant meals, protein-heavy holiday spreads.

You can’t go anywhere these days without someone telling you to eat protein, but metabolizing protein requires water. 

“When we eat a large protein-rich meal, the body breaks down protein into its building blocks called amino acids.  Excess amino acids are converted into urea and excreted by the kidneys in the urine,” says Goodridge. After a high-protein meal, we may feel a little thirstier, but eating a larger high-protein meal does not have a dehydrating effect on the body.

It’s why you might feel a bit more thirsty after eating a large, high-protein meal, but it shouldn’t be a concern for someone whose overall diet is balanced diet. 

How to Stay Hydrated Without Avoiding These Foods

Even on a sweltering summer day, none of these foods and drinks—not the chips, the cocktails, or the steak off the grill—need to be off limits. What matters more than what you eat is how consistently you’re drinking fluids throughout the day.  “Water should always be your first choice,” says Arevalo. 

Here are some expert tips to stay hydrated:

Pair salty or high-protein meals with water-rich foods: Fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, and cucumbers all contribute to your fluid intake and can help offset foods that increase hydration needs. “Fresh fruits and vegetables that are juicy are ideal,” Arevalo says. For example, she notes that watermelon provides better hydration than bananas. And in addition to drinking water, she says low-sodium soups and broths, and unsweetened beverages also contribute a substantial amount of water.

Drink consistently throughout the day: Rather than gulping water after a salty meal, aim to sip regularly so your body stays ahead of shifting fluid needs.

Pay attention to your body’s cues: Thirst is a reliable signal for most healthy adults. Urine color is another useful guide. “Dehydration can have other causes, not just a lack of liquids in the diet. And dehydration can be fatal. Looking at the color of your urine can help determine your hydration needs. The darker and smellier the urine is, the more liquids you need to drink,” Arevalo says. Urine should be clear or pale and have no odor,

Factor in your environment and activity level: Heat, humidity, and exercise all increase fluid losses, which can compound the effects of high-sodium or high-protein eating. “Anyone should be mindful of these effects, especially during the summer months. Infants and young children can dehydrate faster because mild fluid losses can quickly become severe emergencies. Adults 65 and older are at increased risk of dehydration due to natural water volume decline and decreased kidney function. It is important to keep an eye on our elders to make sure that they stay hydrated, mainly when temperatures surpass 80 degrees,” Arevalo says.

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