Which is better, tea or coffee?

Dt. Ruchi Meena

M.Sc -Food and Nutrition, B.Sc. - Dietitics / Nutrition · Dietitian/Nutritionist · 

Tea Vs Coffee

Tea and coffee are the most popular hot beverages in the world. The northern side of India majorly consumes a lot of tea as its daily beverage while the southern states in India indulge more into coffee. Both contain caffeine; but have different tastes as well as addictions.

Here are the benefits as well as drawbacks of the two.

1. Caffeine - Coffee has more caffeine than tea. So if you want to stay awake or want a sudden rush of energy, choose a cup of coffee over a cup of tea. Too much caffeine though will eradicate sound sleep and can cause high blood pressure issues.

2. Acidity - Drinking tea can cause acidity to a great extent. Coffee on the other hand doesn’t cause acidity, to that extent. Never consume tea on an empty stomach; you are likely to develop gas or acidity owing to the same.

3. Overall health - Tea has a lot of antioxidants as compared to coffee. Eliminate cream, milk, sugars etc from tea and drink the decoction daily. It’s a very good anti-oxidant that keeps the overall health of a person in good condition. Tea consumed with lemon juice clears the intestine, further eliminating toxins for a healthier body.

4. Diabetes - Coffee is said to prevent the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. It doesn’t let inflammations take root causing the glucose in the body to be utilized pretty well. It also helps the body in utilizing the insulin produced by the later in a far better way than normal.

5. Nutrients - Coffee is more nutritious than tea with more calcium, phosphorous, potassium and choline. Tea simply has more folate than coffee.

Coffee might seem to have more health benefits over tea but if you have weak immunity and sleep problems, you can pick tea over coffee.