Is Coffee Better Than Tea? Here's What Experts Say

Are you someone who starts their day with a cup of coffee or tea? This article explores the benefits of consuming coffee and tea and evaluates which is the best choice for your overall health.

Coffee versus Tea

Asia is a continent known for its unity in common tea preferences. This is supported by recent market research showing that Asia's tea consumption is around 60% of the global total.

That being said, scientists have found that drinking tea or coffee regularly has numerous health benefits. But how do we compare and decide whether coffee is better than tea or vice versa? To answer this, here’s the research we found for you.

Caffeine Intake

Both coffee and tea contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that boosts energy levels and improves focus. However, the amount of caffeine varies significantly between these two beverages. 

Coffee contains higher caffeine content; for example, a 240 ml cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. In contrast, tea has relatively less caffeine.

Higher caffeine intake (below the safe amount recommended by experts, which is 400 mg a day) can result in:

• Reducing chronic diseases and improving athletic performance
• Boosting mood and mental alertness
• Improving endurance
• Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity

Health Benefits

Both coffee and tea are known for their significant health benefits, including the presence of antioxidants, which help protect the body from oxidative stress.

Tea, which contains flavonoids, improves heart health by helping to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and improve blood vessel function. Green tea, in particular, is known for aiding in weight loss, enhancing metabolism, and increasing fat oxidation.

Coffee, also packed with antioxidants, provides additional health benefits such as improving cognitive function, which helps reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It can also enhance reaction time, memory, and mood.

What is Better?

Both tea and coffee offer numerous benefits. Deciding the “best” option between coffee and tea comes down to personal preference and individual health goals. Coffee, containing two to four times more caffeine than tea, provides significantly more benefits in terms of alertness and energy boost, depending on your sensitivity to caffeine.

Finally, the debate comes down to the point where addressing your diet, lifestyle, and overall body needs will help you the most to determine which serves as the “best” choice for you.