The Benefits of Coffee AND Tea:
Conversations about coffee and tea are often phrased in terms of either/or: are you a coffee person OR a tea person? There are amazing benefits to both of these tasty, refreshing, and comforting beverages – and we’re going to discuss both! You can always switch back and forth, or choose what sounds the best in the moment. Coffee and tea can provide some much needed energy and nutrients.
While water will always be the healthiest thing we can swish inside our cups, it doesn’t hurt to try to see which favorite drink will help you get more energy and nutrients each time you drink a cup or two.
The Goodness Of Tea
1. Polyphenols
Tea is popularly known for its polyphenol content. Polyphenols, such as catechins and flavonoids, function as potent antioxidants which can act as protection against cancer-causing cells. Perhaps the most important polyphenol, EGCG or Epigallocatechin Gallate, is what separates tea from coffee when it comes to health benefits. EGCG has been proven capable of doing the following:
- Fights cancer
- Burns fat
- Prevents heart disease
- Protects the skin
To take advantage of these benefits, make sure the tea you get is white or green as these types of tea undergo the least amount of processing. Chai Tea is pretty healthy for you, too.
2. Improves Brain function
Tea can act as a stimulant. It contains caffeine just like coffee, but in smaller amounts. Green tea has L-theanine, a substance known to increase brain activity. Caffeine and L-theanine give the tea drinker a “mild buzz” which is often enough to provide brain stimulation and improve overall brain function.
3. Reduces Risk of Diabetes
Studies confirm green tea’s effects on improving insulin sensitivity which helps reduce blood sugar levels. Through stabalization of blood sugar and desensitization of insulin, tea can help manage the effects of type 2 diabetes. The many nutritional components, including Polyphenols, help mitigate many risks of developing diabetes, like obesity.
Perks of Coffee
1. Boosts Brain Power
When you think of coffee, you almost instantly think the word caffeine. Caffeine is the most consumed stimulant in the world and it often seems like everyone can’t wait to get their cup of coffee in the morning.
Caffeine is an effective brain stimulant due to how it blocks adenosine, an inhibitory transmitter. By doing this, it inadvertently increases norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the brain, which leads to a boost in brain activity and function.
2. Boost Metabolism
Drinking coffee might help you burn more fat due to how it can boost the metabolic rate by as much as 11%!
3. Adds Nutrients to Your Daily Intake
Coffee has the following nutrients in every cup
- Riboflavin
- Panthothenic acid
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Potassium
While these nutrients are available at relatively low amounts, depending on the roasting process of the beans, drinking more than a cup or two can quickly increase these nutrients in your diet
4. Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
It seems stimulating brain function can do plenty of wonders as you age. Coffee has been shown to actually reduce the risk of acquiring dementia in the form of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Verdict: Tea or Coffee? Why not both?
Consuming both tea and coffee has been found to be healthy for the human body and has benefits far beyond what most people know. The only drawback is the possible side-effects associated with ingesting too much of any drink. Too much tea can mostly lead to similar effects of consuming too much coffee as they both have caffeine.
Some of the side effects include jitteriness, anxiety, sleeplessness, and irritability. People can also experience what we call “crashing,” or when the caffeine finally subsides and you find yourself suddenly sleepy or tired.
It seems the choice between tea or coffee all boils down to how much buzz you need. Tea can offer a mild way to stimulate the brain while coffee can be an effective way to not just wake you up but to get your body functioning in a more optimal manner.
Whether you drink tea or coffee, the health benefits will definitely be worth every cup. For best results, why not drink both?
