The fight between Team Coffee and Team Tea is older than any vampire/werewolf fight. The debate rages on about which one is better or healthier for you, but what does science say?
While you may be the kind of person who is going to drink what you’re going to drink no matter what you read on this post, we’re here to give you some basic nutritional information on each of these morning beverages. After you have that info, the decision of which one to drink is solely yours to make.
Antioxidants
If we’re talking nutritional content, specifically antioxidants, then tea is the clear winner. While coffee does contain antioxidants, it can’t compete with green tea. Plus, tea contains Vitamin C, which is an immune system booster and helps with collagen synthesis in your skin.
That said, WebMD notes that coffee has been used medicinally for years to prevent “Parkinson’s Disease, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer.” The jury is still out, though, when it comes to science and whether coffee actually does prevent these ailments.
Caffeine Content
When it comes to caffeine, both coffee and tea contain this energy-boosting molecule. However, coffee has about 10 times as much caffeine as tea.
If you’re a heavy coffee drinker looking to switch over to tea, make sure you taper down your coffee intake, otherwise, you’ll start to feel the effects of caffeine withdrawal. Yes, you can withdraw from caffeine just like you can any other drug! Side effects include fatigue and a headache that just won’t go away… until it does.
Sugar and Cream
Usually, people drink tea without too many accouterments. Coffee, on the other hand, can get super fancy, with lattes, cafe mochas, frappuccinos, cappuccinos, and all sorts of other -ccinos that they keep inventing. The problem is, all these drinks contain sugar and milk/dairy/milk substitutes that can add more calories to your diet and feed bacteria in your mouth.
Tea, on the other hand, has some antibacterial properties and might prevent bad breath.
The Verdict
The verdict is that tea is the easier, more low-maintenance morning beverage if you’re looking for maximum nutritional benefit. Due to its low caffeine content, it might not perk you up like coffee, but it also won’t make you crash in the afternoon.
Coffee can be nutritious if you drink fresh, high-quality stuff. Just make sure to keep the sugar and cream to a minimum and be mindful that if you drink too much coffee, you’ll end up crashing when the caffeine wears off.