Studies have decided that both coffee and tea have health benefits. Unless you don’t load your coffee – or tea – with sugar and cream, either can be a good source of certain nutrients and body healing chemicals linked to disease prevention.
Let’s start with tea. Fresh tea leaves are an incredibly rich source of phytochemicals called catechins, which have strong body protecting chemicals properties.
In fact, tea is one of the highest sources of body healing chemicals in the North American diet. When it comes to health, most of the research has focused on green tea suggesting the drink may help lower the risk of many life-threatening diseases. It is found that regular black tea drinkers have a lower risk of developing heart disease.
Coffee – caffeinated and decaffeinated – contains a body protecting chemical called chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to dampen swelling in the body and reduce glucose (sugar) absorption. Magnesium, a mineral linked to blood sugar regulation is also present in coffee.
There is a disadvantage with coffee for some people: its high caffeine content. (Tea contains much less caffeine compared to coffee.) Drinking too much coffee can result in a high intake of caffeine which can distort sleep and rob calcium from bones (if you consume too little calcium from foods).
Some studies suggest that high intakes of caffeine during pregnancy can raise the risk of miscarriage.
How much coffee should you have?
Coffee or tea? What’s better for you? That really depends on you. If you are not sensitive to caffeine and don’t suffer heartburn, both coffee and tea are believed to be healthy especially if you skip the sugar.
By the way you can share your choice with me in the comments.
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