Understanding Nutrition: What is the healthiest drink you can drink?

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

While the human body is approximately 60% water, many people still struggle to stay adequately hydrated with healthy choices. This raises the common question: What is the healthiest drink you can drink? The answer is clear, yet often overlooked in a world of flavored and caffeinated options.

Quick Summary

An in-depth look at optimal beverage choices reveals that pure water leads the list for hydration and health. This article explores other beneficial options, such as unsweetened coffee and tea, fortified milks, and low-sodium vegetable juices, while identifying which drinks are best limited for well-being.

Key Points

Plain Water is Essential: With zero calories and sugar, water is the best choice for hydration and overall bodily function.
Choose Unsweetened Tea and Coffee: Both offer antioxidants and health benefits, but must be consumed without added sugars or excessive cream.
Opt for Lower-Fat or Fortified Milks: Choose low-fat dairy or unsweetened, fortified plant-based alternatives to get key nutrients like calcium and protein.
Rethink Juice Intake: Limit 100% fruit juice to a small portion, as it lacks fiber. Choose low-sodium vegetable juice, or better yet, blend whole vegetables to retain fiber.
Avoid Sugary Drinks: Skip sodas, energy drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages to prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

The Undisputed Champion: Plain Water

For a healthy body, plain water is the undisputed champion of beverages. It is calorie-free, sugar-free, and essential for almost every bodily function. Your body depends on water to regulate its temperature, transport nutrients, flush out waste, and lubricate joints. Dehydration can lead to issues like headaches, fatigue, and impaired kidney function, highlighting water's critical role. Opting for tap water is often the best choice, as it's safe, inexpensive, and readily available.

Tips for Boosting Water Intake

For those who find plain water boring, several simple strategies can make hydration more appealing:

Infused Water: Add natural flavor with slices of fruit (like lemon, cucumber, or berries) or fresh herbs (like mint). This adds a fresh taste with minimal calories.
Carry a Bottle: Keeping a reusable water bottle handy is a simple but effective way to ensure you're drinking throughout the day.
Set Reminders: Use an app or set an alarm to remind yourself to drink water at regular intervals.

Next-Best Healthiest Beverages

Beyond water, several other drinks can be incorporated into a healthy diet, provided they are unsweetened and consumed in moderation.

Unsweetened Tea

Green and black tea, both from the same plant, are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. Green tea typically contains higher levels of EGCG and L-theanine, which provides a calming alertness and powerful disease-fighting properties. Both teas offer benefits, including protecting against heart disease and some cancers. The key is to enjoy them without added sugar, as bottled, sweetened versions often contain empty calories. For those sensitive to caffeine, green tea contains less than black tea.

Unsweetened Coffee

Moderate consumption of unsweetened coffee has been linked to several health benefits, including a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Like tea, it contains antioxidants and can boost alertness. To maximize health benefits, skip the cream and sugar. If you have high cholesterol, brewing coffee with a paper filter can remove compounds that may raise LDL.

Milk and Fortified Alternatives

For a boost of protein, calcium, and vitamins, milk can be a good option. Low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) versions are recommended to reduce saturated fat intake. For those who avoid dairy, unsweetened and fortified plant-based milks are a popular alternative. The nutritional profile varies greatly, but soy milk is often the closest to cow's milk in protein content. When choosing, check labels to ensure fortification with calcium and vitamin D and to avoid added sugars.

Low-Sodium Vegetable Juice

While not a substitute for whole vegetables, a small glass of 100% low-sodium vegetable juice can provide a dose of nutrients. Beets, for example, contain nitrates that can increase blood flow and lower blood pressure. Celery juice is low in calories and high in water. To maximize benefits, it's often better to blend whole vegetables rather than just juicing, as this retains the fiber.

Comparison Table: Healthiest Beverage Choices


Beverage	Key Benefit	Calories	Sugar (Added)	Notes
Plain Water	Essential hydration	0	0	Calorie-free, ideal for all times
Unsweetened Tea	Antioxidants, relaxation	0	0	Gentle energy boost, variety of options
Unsweetened Coffee	Antioxidants, alertness	0	0	Best without cream/sugar, moderate consumption
Low-Fat Milk	Protein, calcium, Vitamin D	Varies	0	A nutritious choice in moderation
Fortified Plant Milk	Protein (soy), fortified nutrients	Varies	0	Check labels for fortification and sugar
100% Fruit Juice	Vitamins	Varies	0	High in natural sugar, limit portion size
Sugary Soda	None	High	High	Avoid due to empty calories and health risks

Beverages to Limit or Avoid

For optimal health, certain drinks should be consumed sparingly or avoided altogether due to their high content of added sugars, calories, and artificial ingredients.

Sugary Drinks

This category includes soda, sweetened teas, energy drinks, and fruit punch. They are the leading source of added sugars in many diets and contribute significantly to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. The calories add up quickly and don't provide a feeling of fullness, making it easy to overconsume.

Diet Soda

Though calorie-free, diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners. Research on their long-term health effects is mixed, with some studies linking them to potential weight gain and other health issues. While they may help transition away from sugary sodas, water or other healthy alternatives are better long-term choices.

Alcohol

Calories from alcoholic beverages can add up quickly. Excessive alcohol consumption poses numerous health risks. If you do drink, moderation is key.

The Bottom Line for Healthy Hydration

Ultimately, what is the healthiest drink you can drink? The definitive answer is plain water. It is essential for life and offers unparalleled hydration without any downsides. Other beverages, like unsweetened tea, coffee, and fortified milks, can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. The key is to be mindful of what you're consuming, prioritize water, and limit or avoid sugary and artificial options. Reading nutrition labels and making informed choices will significantly impact your overall health.

For more in-depth information on healthy eating and drinking habits, you can consult reliable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Infused water provides the same primary hydration as plain water, with the added benefit of natural flavor from fruits or herbs. It's an excellent way to encourage higher water intake, but it only adds a minimal amount of nutrients and does not replace whole foods.

While both teas are rich in beneficial antioxidants, green tea generally has a slight nutritional edge due to higher levels of EGCG and L-theanine. However, the best choice depends on your preference and caffeine tolerance, as both offer excellent health benefits when unsweetened.

For most adults, moderate consumption of 3 to 5 cups per day is considered healthy. It's important to consume it unsweetened, as adding sugar and cream can significantly increase the calorie and fat content.

Plant-based milks can be a good alternative, but their nutritional content varies widely. To ensure you're getting essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, choose unsweetened brands that are fortified. Check the labels for added sugars and fortification information.

Even 100% fruit juice is high in natural sugar and lacks the fiber found in whole fruit. This can lead to increased calorie intake without the same feeling of fullness. Limiting portions to about 4 ounces per day is recommended.

Diet soda is low in calories, but research on the long-term health effects of artificial sweeteners is still inconclusive. While it might be a step down from sugary soda, water remains the best alternative.

Unless you are an athlete engaging in intense, prolonged exercise, water is sufficient for rehydration. Sports drinks are often high in sugar and calories, which are unnecessary for moderate activity and can counteract health goals.