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Anybody who really knows me will quickly say that I am an avid tea drinker. I have it every morning, whether it's green tea, white tea, jasmine tea, or a black tea like PG Tips (or Tibs as my dad thought it once was ;). I drink tea for it's healthy benefits, and because of the dainty and pretty china or cups I get to use (I'm just bein' honest). It also wakes me up in the morning, which is like a gentle reminder that the day is starting. And no...I didn't get up and drink English Breakfast Tea with a tea cup and saucer (or force my sisters and mother to do the same) on the day of the Royal Wedding.....cough cough.
Now, offer me coffee, and I will very quickly turn it down with a "No thanks, I don't drink coffee". The smell, I admit, is fun and delish. However, when it comes to coffee, not only does it give me the shakes (yes, I'm that sensitive to caffeine), but the fact that I have to doctor it up every time in order to drink it is annoying to me. I like that all I have to do to have some tea is boil water and plop in a tea bag. For slow mornings, I'll definitely go with a black tea and pretend i'm in England or Ireland. Otherwise, I'm a minimalist when it comes to hot drinks (except for hot chocolate...don't get me started), and I'll gladly leave my tea bag in the water until I've finished my tea, loving every minute of that bitter, natural taste.
So, with all of that to say, why in the world am I telling you all of this? Well in the past I've read and listened to why coffee is better for you or why tea is better for you. Now grant it, I know I'm biased (yeah yeah yeah...whatever), but I whole heartedly believe that tea has more healthy benefits to it than coffee. I'm not saying that coffee is bad for you or that tea is monstrously way better for you than coffee; on the contrary I'm just stating that after reading article after article about the benefits of both drinks, tea (especially green tea) wins by a nose (or dare I say....spout?) every time.
Now before you get all defensive about lattes, cappuccinos, and iced-light-mocha-frappachino-no-whip-with-an-extra-shot drinks, I will lay before you my collected facts and sources (which I tried my best to either get a .org or a .edu):
Quick Overview History of Coffee
In a nut shell, recent evidence shows that the coffee bean began to be used in central Ethiopia and was then brought over to Yemen and was cultivated since the 6th century. The very first coffee houses were then believed to be in Cairo and Mecca.
Coffee History
Benefits of Coffee
-contains caffeine, which reduces stress and increases mental stimulation
-consumption on a regular basis has been found to lower risks of: Parkinsons, Alzheimer's, and gallstone disease
-contains the compound, methylpyridinum, a known anti-cancer compound which is not found in the coffee seeds, but is formed during the roasting stage; this compound cannot be found in any other food or vegetable
-stimulates peristaltic movement in the lower intestine, thus keeping you "regular"
-reduces risk of liver cancer, and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (aka liver cancer)
Risks of Coffee
-it lowers blood iron levels and interferes with the uptake of supplementary iron for pregnant women and infants
-the roasting of coffee beans results in certain compounds called rodent carcinogens which, when consumed in large quantities for a long time, can be carcogenic and harmful to the body
-damage to the inner lining of the intestines causing gastritis and stomach ulcers
-linked to high blood pressure
-has been linked to an increased risk to coronary heart disease
-addiction to caffeine (see HILARIOUS picture below)
(the creepy smile Bethany!)
Quick Overview History of Tea (Green Tea)
According to Chinese legend, tea was accidentally invented by Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 BC. He loved drinking boiled water for health and well being. One day some dried leaves from a camellia bush (the tea plant) accidentally floated into his cup, and he liked the aroma and taste so much that he declared tea medicinal and awesome. Later, in the Song Dynasty, an emperor turned tea into something regal and only for rich, important people, thus giving tea its fancy feel. Tea was introduced to Europe in the 1600s, and England in 1669. It derives from young leaves and leaf buds from the evergreen shrub tea tree. Herbal teas are technically not "tea" because they do not derive from the tea plant; instead they come from flowers, fruit, herbs, and spices, but still have a slight medicinal benefit.
There are over 1500 types of teas to chose from.
Benefits of Tea (including iced-unsweetened!-tea)
-with tea being a plant-based beverage, you extract phytonutrients (flavonoids and antioxidants), that are often found in fruit and veggies, when you place the leaves in hot water; this benefits the body from reducing the risk of disease
-reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, and mixed but strong evidence shows a reduced risk of cancer
-ZERO calories
-green tea is said to be the best source of catechins, which are more powerful than vitamins C and E in stopping oxidative damage to cells and contain other disease-fighting properties
-Studies have found an association between drinking green tea and a reduced risk for cancers like skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder
-green and black teas reduce the risk for heart disease
-the antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function.
-oolong or green tea have been shown to reduce the risk of hypertension
Risks of Tea (Green Tea)
-over exposure to fluoride (which only occurs in mature leaves...not the young leaves used)
-higher caffeine levels with longer steeping times
-contains oxalate, which can cause kidney stones when consumed excessively
-contains tannins and hot temperature, which can increase risk of esophageal cancer (really? who knew?)
-liver damage, which can result from too much of a flavanoid known as EGCG
(notice I had to go to wikipedia to find risks?)
Through the many articles that I've looked through finding a risk for green tea, the only one risk that was most prominent was caffeine, which can cause insomnia, anxiety, or hyperactivity. So, in theory, just don't steep your tea for too long like this lady did, and you'll be good to go!
So there you go. The basic facts about coffee and tea. The point of this post is not to make anybody feel bad for drinking coffee or tea. It's just to show the facts that are out there, plain and simple. Make the decision that's best for you...and that tastes better to you! Besides, who says you have to choose one or the other? As for me, you're always guaranteed a date if you ever want to go get a cup of tea.
Cheers!
