Which option is better for you?

How much caffeine is too much caffeine? A coffee or tea lover will never have an answer to this question. Both drinks are among the most popular drinks, but people usually prefer one over the other. While most of the time the taste of the drink is the deciding factor in enjoying a steaming tea or coffee, many of us consider other aspects before ordering a drink. Here’s our take on tea vs. coffee.

Tea vs coffee. What you need to know

How is each of these obtained?

Tea

The tea comes from tea plants grown in cold climates with acidic soil and at least 40 inches of annual rainfall. They are covered all over the world from sea level to about 2100 meters.

China, India and Kenya are the world’s leading tea producers. There are two main types of tea plants used for cultivation Camellia sinensis and its version assamese (tea grown in the valleys of northern India).

Typically, the tea is harvested by workers who pick the leaves to maintain quality, and there are two harvests per year. The “first flush,” sometimes called the first harvest, occurs every spring. The second harvest, often known as the “second wash,” takes place in the summer. In the early growth stages, plants are pruned by removing only the top two leaves and buds, encouraging new shoots that produce better yields.

Large wicker baskets are used to collect the tea leaves after they are removed from the plant. They are collected at the tea processing plant. These tea leaves are then oxidized, which helps separate them into several categories. And since the oxidation process begins immediately after the leaves are picked, the tea processing facilities are located right on the estate.

Coffee

Coffee is produced from beans that grow on coffee plants. They are evergreen shrubs, the height of which is 4-6 meters. Usually, huge beds of shade plantations are used to grow coffee seeds. This is done to protect them from direct sunlight until they are strong enough to survive on their own. Planting is often done during the rainy season to allow roots to form and develop in moist soil.

Coffee plants usually only grow in the tropics, specifically between the Tropics of Cancer and Tropics of Capricorn, or what is called the “bean belt.”

A coffee field is ideally harvested once a year, but a country like Colombia has two harvests a year with primary and secondary crops.

Like tea, coffee cherries are also harvested by humans. But in countries like Brazil, where the terrain is mostly flat and the coffee fields are vast, the process is mechanized.

Caffeine content in coffee and tea

The effects of caffeine on our health are well-documented, both good and bad. However, tea and coffee, being the most common caffeinated beverages, are believed to be harmful due to the amount of caffeine they contain. However, the brewing method, brewing time, and dosages affect the amount of caffeine in the beverage.

According to A Times of India The report notes that when evaluating the amount of caffeine in both beverages, tea has lower caffeine levels than coffee. Ideally, the recommended daily intake of caffeine for humans is 400 mg, and a cup of black tea has 14-70 mg of caffeine, compared to an average of 95-200 mg in a cup of coffee.

Both drinks have decaffeinated versions, which means they undergo a process that removes most of the caffeine in the drink. According to the UK’s Holland and Barrett, decaffeinated tea should have less than 2.5 percent original caffeine. So no decaffeinated tea is truly decaffeinated. All types of tea can be decaffeinated, but the decaffeinated tea option available in the market is black and green tea.

In the case of coffee, 97 percent of the caffeine is removed from decaffeinated coffee beans by solvent washing before roasting. Although decaffeinated coffee has the same health benefits as tea, the taste and aroma of the former may differ. The amount of caffeine in each cup of decaffeinated coffee ranges from 0 to 7 mg. This is significantly less than in regular coffee.

However, it is generally accepted that coffee as a beverage is more commonly decaffeinated than tea.

Health benefits of tea

One of the main benefits of using black tea is that it works as an antioxidant for the body. Agreed Healthline:, “Using them can help scavenge free radicals and reduce damage to the body’s cells. This can ultimately help reduce the risk of chronic disease.”

Black tea has antioxidant properties that may promote gut and heart health. It can also reduce the chance of developing certain diseases. According to the same report, drinking tea daily can reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease by 4 percent, heart attack and other cardiovascular events by 2 percent, stroke by 4 percent, and all-cause mortality by 1.5 percent.

In addition, black tea can lower LDL cholesterol by 4.64 mg/dL, according to research cited in the report. Those with increased cardiovascular risk experienced this effect more strongly.

Black tea has a unique flavor and is believed to be invigorating. Additionally, L-theanine, an amino acid that is a component of tea, has sedative properties that can help a person relax when they are awake. Additionally, L-theanine is a chemical that metabolizes caffeine over a longer period of time, helping people stay less stressed and more focused.

Benefits of coffee for health

A popular drink known to boost focus and energy levels, coffee may also reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes and depression, according to research. Healthline:. Caffeine can reduce fatigue by affecting the levels of several neurotransmitters in the brain. Additionally, the same research shows that coffee consumption helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cognitive decline.

In addition, coffee also has several antioxidants, such as flavonoids and chlorogenic acid, which help prevent the development of cancer cells, protecting against gastrointestinal and liver cancers.

Moreover, according to According to the report, drinking coffee can reduce the risk of dying from chronic diseases as well as other liver diseases, such as liver cancer and liver scarring. Therefore, consuming three to four cups of coffee per day is associated with a number of health benefits and is generally considered safe for most adults.

Depending on whether it’s instant, espresso or filtered, coffee contains 1.1 to 1.8 grams of fiber compared to a cup that has no fiber unless it’s consumed with tea leaves, according to a report published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. in the report. In addition, a number of studies have shown that coffee reduces the development of depression and helps relieve stress by enhancing the ability to concentrate.

Side effects of tea and coffee

While the list of benefits of tea and coffee consumption is long, there are also some side effects associated with the beverages. Because both contain caffeine, it is likely to cause insomnia, digestive problems, anxiety, addiction, headache, rapid heart rate and dizziness, according to the US. Medline Plus.

However, these side effects may vary from one individual to another but may start soon. So you should always analyze your sleep cycle, energy and blood sugar levels before increasing or decreasing your intake of these beverages.

Is one better than the other?

With all the benefits and side effects of tea and coffee, when used carefully, tea and coffee can be more than just beverages.

When it comes to constructively evaluating which drink is better, it depends entirely on how each individual’s body reacts to the two, as well as the amount consumed. If taken sparingly, they may not harm your health, but if consumed in excess, caffeine can negatively affect your body and sleep cycle.

Remember that brewed coffee usually contains two to four times more caffeine than tea.

If you feel the slightest discomfort while consuming any drink or after, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

(Caption and featured image: Courtesy of Taylor Hernandez/Unsplash)