Is coffee a diuretic?

There has been an article circulating on the internet from the Beverage Institute. Here are a few comments in regard to their statements that any beverage is as good as water, and that caffeine is not a diuretic.

1) The article does reiterate that caffeine is a diuretic in native individuals. In fact it states that caffeine is not detrimental to the hydration status of those who regularly consume them. The the body must "adapt" over 3 to 5 days to the caffeine. I had a doctor tell me, in person, to give my dehydrated son anything to hydrated him including pop. (Specially he said coke - interestingly the website "the Beverage Institute is owned by Coca-Cola.) My son has NEVER had caffeine, so this would have dehydrated him further. So you see my point is a bit personal. Because I am educated, I refused. What about others?

2) The article used various beverages in the study. Ie: there may be some link to sugar, aspartame, and other chemicals to poor hydration.

3) The individuals can have water retention and not necessarily proper hydration. IE: water can be stored, not used. Just because the urine output stabilized does not mean the water was utilized.

4) Dr. Grandjean stated she didn’t advise athletes to change their drinking habits because she was afraid they would not drink anything. Shouldn’t choices be based on knowledge? That is a kin to saying – don’t tell kids broccoli is better than M & M’s because they won’t get enough calories.

It is frustrating to me that we aim for the lowest possible in our health. We can have such abundant life, and yet we go for the minimum. How can I keep my bad habits and still survive. I am not interesting in survival. I want whole health.