Dehydration is a major problem because it doesn’t just affect your health but also has an impact on your skin, hair health, and mental well-being. Hence, you need to cut out dehydrating foods and beverages from your diet.

Here are 6 things that are commonly consumed by most of us but are actually very dehydrating:

1. Coffee
It is common knowledge that coffee can be very dehydrating. Coffee is diuretic in nature and anything above two cups can inhibit the reabsorption of sodium in your body. This leads to severe dehydration. Hence, you need to regulate its intake.

2. Green tea
“It all depends on the quantity of green tea consumed and its caffeine content. If you drink a jug full of green tea, it won’t get absorbed properly by your body. This will result in you emptying the bladder more frequently,causing dehdration. It also means that the body will require more time to process what is consumed”, Batra explained.

3. Beetroot
It might come across as a surprise but it is true. However, the trick to reaping the benefits without ending up dehydration is consuming it in the right quantity. Beetroots are high in potassium which is known to help in the release of fluids from our body.

4. Protein-heavy diet
“Eating a high-protein diet is another thing you need to watch out for. Basically, dehydration occurs due to the way proteins are metabolized inside our body. The body requires a considerable amount of water to break them down. If you don’t replenish your water level, you will end up dehydrated”, Batra said.

5. Soy sauce
The sauces that you add to your food to enhance its taste can prove to be harmful. The reason is that most sauces are a mix of salt and sugar. This can disrupt the electrolyte level in your body.

6. Coconut water
Yes, quite contrary to what you’ve heard, isn’t it? Although Ms Batra was slightly apprehensive about the sanctity of this fact, we found a research that claims that coconut water can also lead to dehydration.

A study published in the journal International Journal Of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism suggests that if you consume more coconut water than regular water, you’re doing it all wrong. According to the research, regular water is a better hydrating agent than coconut water.

Moreover, if you opt for coconut water after a high-intensity workout session, you are not doing justice to the fluid requirements of your body.

So, be careful with what you’re consuming because dehydration can lead to a lot of health issues that can be avoided by keeping your water levels up!