Tea Vs Coffee- Which One is Better for Health?
Tea and Coffee are now an inseparable part of our daily life. We can’t even think of a single day without having a cup of tea or coffee. Currently, these two are the most consumed hot beverages in India. But the most important fact is that an unending debate exists between tea and coffee lovers that which one is better for health. If you also have this confusion then stay tuned till the end and let’s check which one wins the battle. In this video, I’ll discuss some common confusing questions like which one is better tea or coffee? How many cups of tea or coffee can you drink in a day? What is the perfect time to have your tea or coffee? What are the perfect accompaniments of tea or coffee? What is ideal with or without milk? With or without sugar? What are the alternatives to tea and coffee? So, let’s get started.
which one is better tea or coffee? How many cups of tea or coffee can you drink in a day?
Here, first I would like to mention that both tea and coffee have their pros and cons. According to modern research, both of these are non-alcoholic beverages and are safe for drinking but to a limited quantity. Having an excessive amount of tea or coffee can be harmful to your health. Now comes the question of the health benefits of both tea and coffee.
While asking about the health benefits or harms of tea or coffee the most important factor that we consider is the amount of caffeine present in them. In general cases caffeine is considered to be harmful to health because caffeine is a stimulant so, an excessive amount of caffeine may lead to reduced concentration, jittery, can cause a panic attack, or can cause a spike in your blood pressure.
A cup of tea contains around 30-50mg of caffeine whereas the same amount of coffee contains around 100 to 150mg of it, which is almost double. So, normally we can say that coffee is harmful to your health.
But does that mean that you should stop having coffee? Of course not. It has its benefits also. Now, according to a new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health states that drinking a moderate amount of coffee can be a blessing for certain people suffering from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancers.
But except this, the permissible amount of caffeine that you can take is 300mg. As per our calculation, you can safely have 2 cups of coffee daily. So, stick to that limit, don’t exceed that. Remember, caffeine is addictive and that’s why we often get addicted to coffee and drink too much.
Now come to tea.
Like coffee, tea also has its own merits and demerits. Both tea and coffee are loaded with antioxidants, but tea contains more. The primary antioxidants that are present in black tea are theaflavins, thearubigins, and catechins. According to recent study theaflavins, thearubigins decrease the growth of lung and colon cancer cells and eventually kill them.
Another antioxidant L-theanine present in tea, stimulates your brain. Unlike caffeine, L-theanine provides anti-stress effects by increasing the brain’s alpha waves, which help you to calm down and relax. It also helps you to maintain alertness, focus, attention, and sharpness.
Moreover, black tea helps to increase digestion, the rich antioxidants in tea fight inflammation, and help to prevent blood vessels from hardening that will significantly lower the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Tea contains tannins, a type of antioxidant that prevents the absorption of plant-based iron from foods like green vegetables and beans, in our body and in turn, expose us to anaemia which is a basic disadvantage of it.
Other than this another demerit is cosmetic-stained teeth.
Though tea has some more benefits than coffee, drinking excessive amounts of tea is also harmful to your health.
According to modern science, you can drink 4 cups of tea in a day safely, but not more than that.
What is the perfect time to have your tea or coffee?
Avoid starting your day with a cup of tea or coffee as it can be harmful to your health and digestion system. Drinking tea as a first thing in the morning may disturb your metabolic system because it will imbalance the acidic and alkaline substances in the stomach which can interfere with your regular metabolic activity of the body and can create problem throughout the day.
Don’t take tea or coffee with breakfast or lunch. As the anti-nutrients present in tea or coffee prevents the absorption of the nutrients to your body. As per modern science, it is best to have your tea or coffee 30 mins after breakfast or lunch.
And avoid taking it after 6 pm as it may disturb your sleep.
What are the perfect accompaniments of tea or coffee?
We often take only tea or coffee without any other things. This is also not good for health. Always try to take something in a small quantity with tea or coffee. The best options are biscuits, or toast, or some nuts.
Which is ideal? With or without milk? With or without sugar?
For both tea and coffee, try to avoid adding sugar in it. If you want it to be sweet then instead of white sugar or refined sugar add some natural sweetener like honey, coconut sugar, or jaggery.
If you love milk tea or milk coffee then try to add a little amount of plant-based milk and don’t over boil it.
You can add seasonings, like freshly grated ginger, or fresh mint in your tea. Each of these boosts the antioxidant potency.
5th point is: What are the alternatives to tea and coffee?
Though drinking tea or coffee in limited quantity can be safe but both theses beverages have some chemicals present in it. So, it is always better to replace them with some healthy option, preferable herbal, at least once in a day. It is better if you can have the alternatives early in the morning, so that it can boost your energy, help to improve your digestive system, and also can play an important part in your daily nutrition.
Herbal Tea.
To make this pour one and a half cups of water into a kettle. Put 1 crushed black cardamom, ½ inch ginger cut into small slices, quarter inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, and 5-6 crushed black peppercorns in it. Bring it to boil. Turn off the heat. Cover and rest it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes strain it and enjoy.
Cinnamon Tea.
Pour one and a half cups of water into a kettle. Add 1 cinnamon stick break into small pieces. Cover the kettle and bring it to a boil. Boil it for about 15 to 25 minutes. Allow the tea steep for about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain it into a cup. Serve hot.
Both these above options are healthier than tea or coffee, tastes great, and also can be made with easily available ingredients within a little budget.
So, the bottom line here is both tea and coffee can be beneficial or harmful depending on the way you take them. It can be a blessing if you stick to a limit and drink properly. It can be a curse if you exceed the limit.