This question has been asked for ages by all sorts of people, from a host to a waiter in a restaurant. Coffee or tea? What do you think is better for you? Do you think there can be one right answer to it?

Tea and coffee both have been consumed because of their physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits. But these two beverages have divided our society into three kinds of people, one who wants coffee 24*7. Second ones whose drink depends on the occasion or their moods, and the third who would dive in an ocean of tea. Let’s see if this question is even answerable or not.

Antioxidants

Both tea and coffee are supremely rich in antioxidants but tea wins the race with the emphasis on green tea. We know antioxidants kill free radicals and prevent the development of certain chronic diseases.

Theaflavins, thearubigins, and catechins are the primary ones in black tea, while coffee is rich in flavonoids and chlorogenic acids. These antioxidants protect against heart disease and cancer.

Also read: Is dark chocolate as healthy as they say?

Caffeine content

Caffeine is what we need when we can’t afford to shut our eyes. The content of any drink depends on the preparation time, brewing time etc.

• It increases our alertness and mood.
• Stimulates our nervous system which is seen to enhance our performance in sports.
• Improved reaction times, memory and information processing.

According to the studies, coffee has higher caffeine content per serving as compared to tea. Just remember when consumed in excess, might give you panic attacks. It’s a powerful stimulant so you don’t want to stimulate your body to an extent that it gets sleep deprived.

Related: Which fruit boosts immunity and can be added to almost every food?

Which gives more energy?

Caffeine serves as an energy booster by increasing the dopamine levels and blocking adenosine. Dopamine is responsible for increasing the heart rate and Adenosine has a sleep inducing effect. And since caffeine is blocking adenosine, we feel less tired on having it.

The effect of coffee on energy happens almost immediately. That’s why we go running for several cups of coffee a night before exam.

Since tea has lower caffeine content, it doesn’t provide as much energy as a coffee does. But tea is rich in an antioxidant that stimulates our brain which is L-theanine.

We all know caffeine has a stressing effect on our bodies. That effect is useful only occasionally. We shouldn’t put our bodies to under that kind of stress every day. And that’s where L- theanine helps.

It has an anti-stress effect which helps you keep calm. Apart from this. it may you to maintain your alertness,focus and attention.

So if we have to choose coffee or tea, the better one for you in terms of energy levels, that’d be coffee. On the other hand, if you want energy but less stressfully, go with tea.

Effect on Weight

Now this hasn’t been confirmed by studies yet but the higher caffeine content in coffee might help you loose weight.

The polyphenols present in tea theaflavin might also contribute to weight loss.

Effect on Heart

The antioxidants present in tea have been seen to reduce the risk of heart disease.

• They relax the blood vessels and reduces the blood pressure.
• They also prevent plaque formation in blood vessels lowering the risks of stroke and heart attacks.

So coffee or tea?

The answer clearly depends on your needs. If you have to do an all nighter’ coffee would come to your rescue. But if you want to relax and calm yourself,a green tea can do wonders.

With the presence of so many antioxidants, both coffee and tea may help in removing those toxic free radicals from your body.

Since coffee has higher caffeine content, it’s good as an immediate source of energy but might lead to panic attacks and anxiety if consumed in large amounts.

In the end, whatever your go to beverage is, don’t over do it. They have some really great benefits but unnecessary over intake might lead to serious health problems.

What do you prefer? Tell us in the comments below.

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