Coffee vs. Tea
For most students, at least one cup of coffee or tea is an essential part of the day. The two beverages are similar in so many ways, but there’s always some confusion over the different benefits of each.
Let’s start with some basic facts. Both coffee and tea contain no fat, no sugar, and no calories before adding milk, cream, or sugar. Coffee has about three times the amount of caffeine than tea (80-185 mg per cup, while tea has between 15-70 mg), according to Policy Expert. Coffee comes from the berries of an evergreen plant, while tea can come from a large variety of plant leaves. Both drinks are extremely popular: 52 per cent of American adults drink coffee daily, and the average American drinks 155 cups of tea a year.
So, what are the health benefits of each?
Coffee
We all know that caffeine increases our energy levels and helps keep us awake. But did you know caffeine can help ease asthma attacks as well, and increase calorie burning and endurance during workouts?
Perhaps the greatest benefit of coffee is that increasing coffee consumption to more than one cup a day over a four-year period can lower your risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes by 11 per cent, according to a 2014 Harvard study. In the same study, coffee has been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer in men and the rate of depression in women.
Drinking coffee daily has also been linked to other benefits such as lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
While a few cups of coffee can have great benefits, drinking too much isn’t a good idea. Too much coffee can cause tooth discolouration, restlessness, insomnia, and anxiety. Some studies even suggest high intakes of caffeine during pregnancy can increase the risk of a miscarriage, according to dietitian Leslie Beck.
Experts recommend limiting your daily caffeine intake to four cups for men and three cups for women per day.
Tea
There’s a reason tea has been around for so long and never ceased to lose popularity. Green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea all contain a unique antioxidant called “flavonoid.” This can help prevent cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries, according to WebMD. Tea can also reduce cholesterol levels, and reduce neurological damage. And for those trying to lose weight, some studies have shown tea helps burn fat and boost your metabolism.
But different teas have different properties. Green tea has a high concentration of antioxidants, black tea has the highest caffeine content (20 mg a cup, versus the 11 mg tea average), and white tea is the least processed, meaning it has the most potent anticancer properties.
Tea is one of the highest sources of antioxidants in the North American diet, according to Beck. The reason antioxidants are so important is because they protect your body’s cells from damage. Cell damage happens naturally as you age and can lead to diseases such as heart problems and diabetes, according to Eat Right Ontario. That is why a diet rich in antioxidants is particularly beneficial.
An important note: don’t be fooled by processed drinks labeled as “teas.” You’ll know them when you see them—they’re filled with added sugar and don’t contain the benefits mentioned above. Canned and bottled drinks like Nestea and Arizona Iced Tea are far from the real deal. Stick to brewing your own tea at home.
Since most teas do contain caffeine, experts recommend limiting your tea intake to six cups a day for men and four cups for women.
So, what is the final verdict?
When it comes to health benefits, tea wins. The fact that it can help burn fat and improve metabolism, while also helping prevent long-term damage just makes this beverage an all-around winner. But that doesn’t mean you should nix coffee altogether. When consumed in moderation, both drinks are good for you, just in different ways.
