These two most consumed drinks in the world, and have been for centuries, are remedies for most of our ailments (tea vs coffee which drinks to choose for health?).
But their high consumption can also have undesirable effects, even harmful to our health. Tea seems to have had a better reputation for a long time than coffee, whose harmful effects are often highlighted.
But, among all the information found on the internet, we can get a little lost: between their benefits and their harms, how do we know which drink is to be preferred for our daily consumption?
Tea vs. Coffee: Drink to Choose for Health
Here is a little comparison between the advantages and disadvantages of coffee and tea, to find out which is best for you or to choose for health!
A Cup of Energy to Start the Day Off Right
Both tea and coffee are stimulants, but we often think that coffee wakes us up more than tea, and that's not true that which to choose for health.
Both contain caffeine, a natural, bitter-tasting substance that has the effect of stimulating the central nervous system. A cup of tea brings the same maximum of energy to the body as a cup of coffee.
More known as "theine", the substance in tea has the same components as the caffeine in coffee and the same effects.
What is true, thus, is that coffee acts more, in a shorter period: caffeine acts over two to three hours while theine, more between 6 to 8 hours.
Moreover, these are not the only two “energy” hot drinks in the world. Indeed, I invite you to discover the many alternatives to coffee!
Stimulating Effects… Too Exciting?
Coffee like tea improves our attention. Coffee also has the advantage of facilitating our reflexes, reactions and perceptions, intellectual functions, memory, and mental fatigue, so much.
So that it is called a “neuro-protector” which reduces the risk of suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
But, according to researchers from the University of Surrey (United Kingdom), the abuse of coffee, more than that of tea, can cause insomnia in consumers:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Palpitations
- The feeling of anxiety that prevents you from falling asleep...
All these symptoms can be caused by drinking too much coffee. Tea drinkers, generally sleep longer and better.
Drink Contains the most Antioxidants to Cleanse the Body
In this category, coffee seems to win well. The antioxidant content of its seeds is higher than tea, which is renowned for its antioxidant effects.
The site médisite informs us on this subject: the French Society of Antioxidants maintains that a cup of coffee provides between 200 and 550 mg of antioxidants, while a cup of tea would only contain up to 200 mg.
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Here, tea and coffee are equal, according to a study carried out by the Medical Center of the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology:
Journal of the American Heart Association; She concludes that drinking tea or coffee reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in the individual.
People who consume 5-6 cups of tea a day are 36% less likely to contract heart disease than those who drink only one cup or less.
As for coffee, the risk of suffering from heart disease is reduced by 20% compared to those who drink only one cup or less (to choose for health).
Anti-stress Effects
Tea, especially black tea, allows us to relax, calm our nerves, and soothe us, and green tea helps lower blood pressure, which tends to rise during episodes of stress.
But, all this can lead to a risk of stroke or heart attack. Tea drinkers would reduce their risk of depression by 37%.
If you are often subject to stress, it is recommended to drink tea, rather than coffee, the abuse of the latter can lead to states of stress and irritability. Besides, as seen above, coffee protects against long-term mental illness.
Coffee, the Sports Coach
When it comes to athletic performance, drinking coffee seems to be much more beneficial than drinking tea. Coffee is one of the most useful drinks to take right after a sporting effort.
Consume coffee for regular sports practice:
- Improves adaptation to stress due to physical exertion
- Accelerates fat loss
- Facilitates the increase in the level of endorphins, a plus for endurance sports
- Also helps to reduce muscle pain and the feeling of fatigue.
Tea and Coffee:
Also having diuretic properties, coffee, and tea contain caffeine and theine, which increase metabolism and activate fat burning.
Their consumption, thus, facilitates weight loss, if combined with a healthy and balanced diet. You can check out my list of fat-burning foods here.
As part of a diet, it is recommended to consume green tea or black coffee to ease lasting weight loss and avoid the common weight regain at the end of the diet.
Caffeine increases the body's production of heat, and thus energy expenditure. This makes it easier to cut stored fat from the body.
Green tea contains theine which increases metabolism, and tannins prevent the assimilation of fats. Its antioxidant content (catechin) also helps to increase energy expenditure and oxidize fat, and more when combined with caffeine.
Slimming Partners?
In a study published in 2009 in the "Journal of Nutrition", a sample of people consumed catechins and caffeine and had to perform at least 180 minutes of exercise per week, while maintaining a constant diet.
In this group, people lost more weight than another sample of people who consumed only caffeine. They also lost more belly fat.
Beware of the little chocolate or sweet sweetness at tea or coffee time that we are often tempted to taste, but which can lead us to store pounds!
It is also advisable to drink your coffee black, without milk, cream, or sugar. Neutral black coffee contains no calories.
If consumed upon waking, about 30 minutes before having breakfast, it can reduce appetite by about 30% throughout the day. To find out more, read this article: Top 10 Best Health Benefits of Green Tea
Coffee or Tea, Stained Teeth Guaranteed?
Both beverages do not have the reputation of allowing us to maintain white teeth. But, all dentists would agree that the natural pigments contained in tea adhere more to the enamel of the teeth than do those of coffee.
This would be facilitated by certain mouthwashes based on Chlorhexidine, which would ease the deposit of these microscopic particles.
Attention Danger
Since both drinks are caffeinated, they both have side effects that can sometimes be harmful:
- Nervous system effects
- Worsening symptoms of inflammation
- Risk of intestinal and stomach ulcers
- Acidities
Green tea can also present an adverse drug interaction. Coffee still seems to be able to cause more inconvenience, and this is in particular due to the process of roasting the beans.
Acrylamide, a chemical substance that multiplies in coffee during roasting at high temperatures, is said to be carcinogenic. Filtered coffee is the least harmful way to drink your coffee.
The risk of addiction would also be higher for coffee than for tea, as well as its harmful effects on the health of pregnant women. But this is once again a question of dose and overconsumption.
Iron Deficiencies and Cholesterol Levels
Caffeine has the disadvantage of neutralizing the action of iron. Beware of abuse! Coffee beans also contain lipids that can raise cholesterol levels when the coffee is not filtered.
To Consume in Moderation
Excess consumption can lead to harmful side effects, which differ between tea and coffee, although a common side effect is their caffeine composition.
Depending on the concentration and amount of caffeine absorbed, effects such as nervousness, dizziness, insomnia, tachycardia, and increased blood pressure may occur.
On this point, coffee, which contains more caffeine, may be more at risk, but if you consume more tea than coffee (to choose for health).
It is your tea consumption that could cause you these effects… it is all a question of quantity, and thus moderation. Despite the benefits of tea and coffee, their consumption should be limited to 4 cups a day.
Tea can cause an aggravation of certain disorders in an individual: in the event of inflammation of the intestine, hemophilia, and kidney problems for example.
Advice to Limit the Effect of Caffeine
If you're a tea addict but are sensitive to caffeine, one tip to limit its effects is to increase the steeping time. In hot water, after three minutes, only 52% of tannins are released, compared to 75% of caffeine.
The longer the infusion time, the more tannin molecules are released and thus reduce the effect of caffeine so which drink to choose for health.
Tea vs. Coffee: Which Drink to Choose for Health
The conclusion and the advice I draw from this is that we should consume both drinks and of course in moderation.
Without abusing either one, the two drinks indeed bring us significant benefits and help us to maintain good health while providing us with different gustatory pleasures!
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