Coffee vs. Tea: What’s the Difference?

Contrary to what some believe, coffee and tea both have several health benefits. But how do they compare to each other? Let’s look at some hard facts today and see which drink is the most beneficial to your health. Coffee Coffee has several health benefits:

• Boosts adrenaline: having coffee an hour before you physically exert yourself can improve your performance up to 12%. If you labor physically or exercise, coffee can give you a boost that helps you do better.
• Reduces health risks: coffee affects your body by reducing health risks in several ways. One example is a study that tested men and women drinking coffee regularly versus those who do not. The risk of developing endometrial cancer was reduced by 25% in women who were regular coffee drinkers. Additionally, coffee reduces the risk of experiencing a stroke, developing Parkinson’s disease, and developing Type II diabetes. This benefit is only for regular coffee drinkers.
• Helps you focus: an obvious benefit of coffee is that it helps people stay alert and focus. Many people drink coffee in the morning to help them wake up and be ready for work.
• Brightens your mood: coffee can also benefit you by making you feel happier. This happens by the coffee stimulating your central nervous system. You are likely to feel less depressed and more upbeat.

Tea As you can see, coffee has many benefits, but let’s take a look at tea:

• Reduces health risks: many studies have been done to see the beneficial effects of tea. These studies have showed possible connections between tea and good health. Let’s highlight a few. First of all, tea can reduce your likelihood of having a stroke or a heart attack. This effect only applies to drinkers of green tea who drink on a daily basis. Additionally, new data is showing a possible relationship between green tea and the reduction of bone loss. Lastly, tea helps you battle cancer and keep your immune system running. As you can sea, tea can positively affect your health in many ways.
• Contains no calories: finding something tasteful to consume while not upping your calorie count can be hard. However, tea contains no calories(unless you add sugar, etc). An additional benefit to this no calories part is that tea offers so many flavors. There is sure to be a few that appeal to you. You get taste without calories.
• Helps your smile: tea helps you keep a bright smile by not staining your teeth. One study in Japan says they have found that tea actually help prevents tooth decay. When you drink tea, it changes a ph found in your mouth to a property that is beneficial for your teeth.
• Contains antioxidants: this part means that our body will stay young and keep performing well as the tea gives you antioxidants that keep your body from “rusting.”

  Comparison Before we get into whether tea or coffee is the healthier drink, let’s take a look at some historical facts back to back:

Coffee	Tea
Created in 9th century AD	Created in 2737 BC
Created in Ethiopia	Created in China
Bean part used	Leaf part used

One big difference in the two drinks is the amount of caffeine. Tea always contains fewer milligrams of caffeine than coffee, averaging around 15-70 mg per cup. Coffee, on the other hand, runs 80-185 mg per cup depending on the type you purchase. Tea seems to be better for your heart as well, because it decreases the serum cholesterol and fatty acid. As mentioned before, the antioxidants in tea also cause it to be beneficial for heart health. However, coffee contains a fatty chemical called cafestol. This chemical increases the drinker’s cholesterol level. Even if you ordered a decaffeinated drink, the cafestol is still present. In this area, tea is healthier. On the other hand, coffee is more beneficial for asthma sufferers. Theophyline is often used to treat asthma, and the caffeine contained in coffee imitates Theophyline’s uses. Coffee also reduces a headache due to the same property. As for popularity, coffee appears to be the more popular drink right now. However, that trend may change in the next few years.  An average of 51% of Americans drink tea every day, while 54% of Americans drink coffee every day. There is not a large difference in the percentage of drinkers for each beverage. What is different? The cost. Tea prepared at home can cost as low as five cents per cup. Coffee, on the other hand, can cost around 16 cents per cup when made at home. The same price difference is seen when buying a cup at a cafe, coffee is always more expensive. Conclusion Tea and coffee both benefit the body in different ways. The drink that is most beneficial to your body, depends on your health problems and how you personally react to different levels of caffeine. In the end, both are appetizing drinks that can benefit you if you partake in them regularly.