Coffee vs. Tea

 

 
Hello and welcome! This is Lionel Correia from “Juice With Us” and I’m coming at you with another episode of Wellness Wednesday. For those early risers many people, myself included, like to get there day started with a nice cup of coffee or tea, so in this week’s topic we will cover the long fought over battle of which is better, coffee vs. tea. We will discuss some of the benefits of each as well as the negatives and my hope is that by the end of this video, you’ll have a better understanding of which is right for you, so let’s jump right in.
 
Personally I absolutely love coffee! It has been a favorite of mine for years and I enjoy a cup almost every morning not only for the jolt it gives, but also for the taste. A lot of people give it a bad rap, but it really does have some amazing health benefits. For starters coffee has more antioxidant activity then cocoa or tea. A study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, found that coffee has more total antioxidant activity then either cocoa, green tea, black tea or herbal tea. Studies have shown coffee increases alertness and physical performance. That’s why drinking a small cup of coffee before a work out or run helps in creating a stronger performance for the body. Research also shows that coffee fights diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s, depression and cancer. It also may protect against alcoholic liver disease. Studies have shown that people who drink coffee lowered their risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Some cautions about coffee though are it can lead to a miscarriage in normal pregnancy. It’s also well known that too much caffeine can lead to jitters and nervousness, which in turn can lead to a bad night’s sleep and let’s not forget it stains your teeth.
 
Coffee vs. Tea. Tea also has some amazing properties. Tea comes in white, green, black or red (oolong) varieties. For your own knowledge the color of the tea depends on the amount of processing the tea leaves go through, but all tea is filled with antioxidant power fighting chemicals and all are very healthy for you. When I drink tea I stick to mainly black or green, but occasionally I will mix in some white. Both green and black tea has amazing cancer fighting properties. Black tea also helps reduce the production of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body and studies have shown that black tea can reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack. At Boston University’s School of Medicine, doctors concluded that black tea helps blood vessels function better and this was even noticeable within 2 hours of drinking just one cup of black tea. Black tea truly is an amazing delight, but let’s take a look at green tea, which many nutritionists like even more.
 
Green tea lowers cholesterol, is helpful in weight loss, helps with depression and anxiety and also has anticancer fighting properties. Dr. Shari Lieberman says, “That green tea stimulates the metabolism way more than caffeine alone.” This is why some nutritionists recommend a green tea supplement for weight loss. Green tea also releases that feel good dopamine through our bodies. The substance theanine in green tea is what improves mood and gives us that happy go lucky demeanor, so if you’re ever feeling a little down drink some green tea and see if that helps. Yet another benefit of drinking green tea is the antioxidants in it help to prevent Alzheimer’s. As you can see Green Tea really is a power house when it comes to the health benefits it provides for our bodies.
 
In conclusion both coffee and tea have amazing properties, so the question still remains which is better for you? Coffee vs. tea. In my mind the answer really depends on the person. Both have different benefits and truly are sound investments for your body. I don’t think I’ll ever give up coffee because I enjoy the taste and the jolt it gives me in the early morning, so I’ll stick with coffee in the mornings and tea if necessary later during the day, but everyone is different. The best part is as long as you’re not bouncing off the walls from 7-8 cups of coffee throughout the day, I don’t think you can go wrong either way! You decide. Thanks for watching, be sure to like the video and remember juice strong to live long!