Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tea vs Coffee - A short summary

Tea vs Coffee
In the contest between Tea versus Coffee, you may wait for there to be a clear winner.

The truth is however, that coffee and tea remain two very different beverages that do different things for different folks.
First off, one is made from the leaves of a plant called Camellia sinensis, and the other is made from a bean.
When it comes to greater health benefits tea will ultimately beat coffee, especially white and green tea; but this does not mean coffee does not come with its share of health benefits. Granted tea has more antioxidants per cup when compared to coffee and also contains less caffeine...more below on that.

Some Health Benefits of Tea
• helps build a stronger immune system
• promotes weight loss, younger looking skin, lower cholesterol, and blood pressure
• can help reduce the risk of heart disease and developing certain cancer

Some Health Benefits of Coffee
• also helps fight developing certain cancer
• reduces the risk of getting type 2 diabetes
• may help prevent strokes and aids in liver protection
• increases energy and focus

Tea vs Coffee - Caffeine Information
Nothing beats a morning cup of Joe when needing a boost to start a new day! So coffee has tea beat in this area. But for folks who are sensitive to caffeine perhaps tea is the better beverage.
A cup of black tea has half the amount of caffeine than a cup of coffee, and a larger amount of antioxidants such as plant polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, and tannins. Coffee does not have some these properties present, yet does have its share of minerals.

Oolong, green, and white tea have even less caffeine and even more antioxidants. In fact, white tea has shown to contain the highest levels (beaten only by Olive Leaf Tea), and is one of the best sources when measured by volume for antioxidants compared to other herbs. So if drinking mainly for your health, tea will always beat coffee in terms of antioxidant intake per cup.

But coffee does have its advantages over tea in some areas. As just mentioned, take the simple fact that if you can tolerate caffeine, coffee is a great stimulant, and is helpful in waking folks up in the morning. People also prefer the stronger taste of coffee when having breakfast over the lighter flavor of tea.

Brewing coffee and tea is different for each, as tea is steeped in an infuser or tea bag, while coffee is either made in a percolator or slowly dripped through grains and into a pot (along with other methods).
When it come to tea vs coffee as far as varieties, tea has this one as well. There are literally thousands of varieties and sub varieties of tea that are processed by many different countries and cultures worldwide. Tea is also a more social beverage than coffee and is a better choice if one just wants to relax with a calming drink.

When it boils down to it, it is really on what folks prefer. I can tell you that I used to be a big coffee drinker until I found out about the world of loose leaf tea.

Alternative Health News


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