It’s time to reevaluate your morning beverage. Think again, tea or coffee?

While both give the boost of caffeine that gets you through the morning, each has its own benefits and drawbacks that are important to consider when choosing which is best for your diet.

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the nervous system. People sensitive to caffeine or those who consume it heavily can experience hyperactivity. For example, some experience a spike in heart rate, blood pressure or even gastrointestinal discomfort.

When deciding how you want to introduce caffeine into your system, it is important to realize that coffee and tea stimulate differently: Coffee tends to induce a more aggressive hit in stimulating your wake up, while tea eases you into caffeine’s effects. However, the coffee versus tea decision is more than just about the delivery of caffeine consumption. The coffee versus tea experience is each a unique adventure for the mind and body.

Tea is effective in hydrating and boosting the metabolism.  Abundant in catechins and flavonoids, tea can help fight against environmental stresses and enrich the body with antioxidants.  Other benefits include improvement in immune system function and brain health, and reduced age related memory decline. Tea fights against inflammation, cell damage, lowers body weight, and increases bone density. On the other hand, something to think about for vegans and vegetarians is that tea can reduce nonheme iron (non animal derived iron) absorption when consumed with plant based meals. 

Coffee, unlike tea, is a diuretic, so it has the potential to cause dehydration in non regular consumers– however, your body can adapt to this effect based on your coffee intake. Coffee is also rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients, such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium & magnesium. A daily consumption of coffee can protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s and some cancers. Studies have show that it has been found to prevent premature death for those who drink 3-5 cups a day.  However, coffee lovers should be wary that it can reduce bone density by 2-4%. Additionally, as coffee is more acidic than tea, tea would be a better option for those with digestive issues, such as ulcers.

After assessing the pros and cons of each beverage, you can better select the perfect one to target your mood and health needs.

If you prefer tea, here are a few types and their purported benefits:

Green Tea:  This has antidepressant and stress reducing properties. It promotes fat loss and helps with memory and vigilance.

Black Tea: Having the highest caffeine levels, this makes an effective morning beverage; usually found in chai tea.  It is rich in antioxidants and can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

White Tea:  This tea helps with weight loss and has antibacterial properties.

Oolong Tea: It is found to be good for heart, brain, and dental health. It can boost metabolism as well as protect against type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Chamomile Tea: An anti inflammatory tea that also has calming properties. It is also an antiseptic and found to protect skin.

Coffee is less complicated: Basically, there’s a dark roast and a light roast. Studies have found that the light roast has better health benefits because it has a higher content of chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant, which fights against potential health problems by reducing cell damage. Simply, the lighter the roast, the greater the amount of chlorogenic acid, which makes for a healthier you.

Remember, choosing between coffee versus tea is not a life changing decision– everything in moderation has its own benefits

writer_baila mudgil