Coffee vs Tea Which one is better for your health?

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who drink coffee and those who swear by tea. Each of these fragrant, caffeinated beverages has its own devoted followers, but when it comes to health, which one wins? While tea lovers revel in tea's likely health benefits, coffee drinkers worry that anything as deliriously stimulating as Java must be unhealthful. But research shows that coffee is generally safe in moderate amounts and might have surprising benefits of its own.

According to the article by Consumer Reports (2005), “large observational studies have linked regular coffee consumption with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, gallstones, and possibly Parkinson's disease. Still, both green and black tea trump coffee for protection against cancer, heart disease, and possibly osteoporosis.”

How They Protect You
Tea. Habitual tea drinkers' reduced cancer risk might stem from tea's high antioxidant capacity. Tea might protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots, and reducing cholesterol levels. Earlier this year, a National University of Singapore (NUS) study found that regular tea drinkers are less likely to get dementia in the long run. It can possibly lower the risks of certain cancers, decreases inflammation, and promotes mouth health.

Coffee contains nutrients like potassium, manganese, magnesium, and niacin. Caffeinated and decaf coffee each contain antioxidants and other substances that may help regulate blood sugar; reduce risks of type 2 diabetes, gallstones. Also, coffee helps with depression and the caffeine may cut the risk of Parkinson's by boosting supplies of the brain chemical dopamine, at least in men.

How Much is Too Much?
There's little or no evidence that drinking substantial amounts of tea is harmful to the average person. As for coffee, moderate intake-one or two cups a day-seems to be safe for most people. At least one large study has suggested that such consumption protects the heart, though the underlying reason is not clear.

Some research, however, has linked drinking three or more cups of coffee a day with increased heart risk. Coffee may raise blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels. Consuming lots of caffeine can also speed bone loss, and it might reduce birth weight and raise the risk of miscarriage. Coffee's high caffeine content-typically has twice as much as black tea. Loading your coffee or tea with sugar and cream may negate the positive effects of the coffee bean due to the increased sugar and fat.

References: 

Coffee vs. tea: benefits and risks. (2005). Consumer Reports, 70(11), 52.

By Jazzmin Solis