What is better for your health: drink a cup of coffee or tea?
The answer to this question does not seem to be simple and actually depends on the person to person. It should be noted that all the advantages and disadvantages we can get from a cup of coffee and tea are related to caffeine which is the most common psychoactive drug in the world. Nutritionist Tamar Samuels says the effects of caffeine can be felt within 45 minutes of consumption, and can last up to 10 hours.
What does caffeine do to your body and mind in the morning?
Coffee and tea contain different amounts of caffeine. One cup of coffee has about 95 milligrams of caffeine, and a cup of black tea contains about 48 milligrams. A cup of green tea contains about 29 milligrams of caffeine. Thus, the effects of caffeine will be most felt after drinking a cup of coffee that also contains the most caffeine.
Caffeine is metabolized by enzymes in the liver, and certain genetic mutations affect whether the process is fast or slow. Samuels states that approximately half of the world's population has a gene variant that causes caffeine to be processed slowly.
People struggling with chronic stress should not ingest caffeine as it can cause side effects like insomnia, digestive problems, anxiety and high blood pressure. But such side effects can occur after consuming large amounts of caffeine. On the other hand, small amounts can give you a healthy boost.
The problem with caffeine intake in the morning is that cortisol levels are already high, and caffeine further increases this which can lead to anxiety and nervousness.
Caffeine also naturally contains methylxanthine, which medical professionals use to fight respiratory diseases. Methylxanthine affects the body’s serotonin neurons, which cause many of the warning effects associated with caffeine intake.
Caffeine affects the central nervous system in several ways. On the one hand, it increases energy throughout the brain, but it also reduces cerebral blood flow by inducing relatively low blood pressure. On the other hand, it activates norepinephrine neurons as well as the local release of dopamine, leading to the person waking up.
Benefits of coffee
Some research suggests that coffee may be beneficial for people who have certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or some heart problems. In addition, coffee has a positive effect on metabolism. Another health benefit of java is high levels of antioxidants.
Coffee also contains high levels of polyphenols that can help prevent neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease, and even control weight.
The benefits of tea
People who can’t stand high levels of caffeine should drink tea in the morning because it even contains less caffeine than coffee. The overall health benefits of tea vary greatly depending on the type you consume - for example, there are some differences between black, green and white tea.
Tea has several different benefits because there are several types of tea, while coffee and espresso are made from one bean, one plant, and people who drink tea can more easily find the type of tea that will benefit a particular health condition.
Coffee or tea?
The right answer does not exist. In fact it all depends on the person. Each person needs to listen to their body and so will be able to determine which hot beverage works best for them.