Coffee drinkers can raise a mug to fiber, microbiome health and lowering risk for cancer and diabetes. But tea drinkers, do not despair. Tea is undoubtedly good for your blood pressure, cholesterol, stress levels, mental health and productivity. And both drinks are winners when it comes to heart health and longevity.
Tea provides good hydration.
Even though tea may also be caffeinated, it generally contains far less caffeine and is a good alternative to coffee. Patients should note that the benefits of tea can vary depending on the type of tea, although darker and green teas are the more beneficial varieties.
Best for overall health: green tea
“It's the Swiss Army knife of teas. It covers a lot of territory.” A medical literature review offers a snapshot of those benefits, linking the consumption of green tea to: Cancer prevention.
What attracts consumers to green tea is its unique representation as a 'superfood'. Superfoods are those food items that are exceptionally nutritious and good for one's health. Green tea has garnered attention as a superfood because of its antioxidants rich quality.
Teas that are unhealthy include comfrey, kava kava, black, and other teas. A warm cup of tea is a refreshing and soothing drink.
Green tea gets most of the hype for its potentially health-boosting properties, but black tea appears to offer plenty of health benefits, too. Retelny notes that scientific evidence suggests black tea may play a role in preventing cognitive decline, inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and potentially cancer.
The Benefits of Morning Tea
Like coffee, tea can help clear up morning grogginess, but that's not all. It's true that tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but its caffeine contents should be just enough to give you the energy boost you need without overdoing it, and you can always have a second cup if you need it.
While caffeine does have positive side effects, like better focus and higher activity levels, it can also cause anxiety, dehydration, and dizziness if you drink too much of it. However, many consider black tea a healthier alternative to coffee, since it has less caffeine per serving.
You should drink tea if you want more sustained energy and attention levels, as both green and black tea contain L-theanine, a chemical that metabolizes caffeine over a longer period of time. Although I don't get the quick energy boost in the morning, I definitely feel the slow burn of energy throughout the day.
You have to drink around 1.5 cups of tea to equal the same caffeine in a single cup of coffee.
What happens when you switch from coffee to tea? Depending on the type of tea, you may experience minor withdrawal effects if you're consuming less caffeine. However, the L-Theanine component of tea should ensure that you no longer experience the jitters and crash associated with coffee.
Or maybe you're just bored and want to shake up your morning routine. No matter the reason you want to make a (fair) trade, there are plenty of coffee alternatives including mushroom coffee, tea, juice shots, matcha, chicory, and other functional concoctions that are good to the last drop.
Sip Some Tea
If you're craving a hot drink that's going to wake you up, you'll probably have to get into tea. Black tea can have up to 80 mg of caffeine, while matcha has about 30 mg and green tea has about 25 mg.
Drinking tea on an empty stomach may affect the body's development as the presence of Tannins in tea can interfere with the absorption of iron and other essential nutrients from food.
Fires Up Your Energy Levels
Drinking coffee and tea is a great way to give your senses a jolt in the morning. That energy boost comes from their caffeine content, which is a natural stimulant. Caffeine stimulates your brain by blocking the neurotransmitter called adenosine.
Q: What kind of tea is ideal for weight loss? A: The perfect tea for weight loss is green tea because it contains a compound called catechins, which have been shown to help burn fat and boost metabolism. Other teas that may be beneficial for weight loss include oolong, pu-erh, white, and rooibos.
Green tea is proved to lower LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides, which means it is good for the heart. Green tea is very beneficial for heart health as it reduces the risk of heart disease and death from heart stroke or attack.
Both green and black tea contain high levels of antioxidants when brewed and can help prevent cell damage. However, the tea with the highest level of antioxidants is Hibiscus tea. When brewed, hibiscus tea has over 400% of the antioxidants found in green or black tea.
Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of green tea has 0 carbohydrates, 0 grams (g) of sugar or fat, and a mere 2.5 calories, making it an all-around healthy choice.