Compare tea and coffee | Benefit and harm

The debate about which is better — tea or coffee — has not subsided, probably since the appearance of these drinks. Moreover, supporters and opponents of each of them in the «battles» use a variety of arguments — from the difference in tastes to attempts to figure out what is more useful or more harmful.

And this is not at all surprising. Tea and coffee are very popular drinks available at any time of the year and are much easier to prepare than any fruit drink or kvass. And they act in the same way. Both tea and coffee have a tonic effect, for example.

Let’s try to put an end to this material and figure out what is better to drink — tea or coffee, and also what are the benefits and harms of drinks.

Tea

Tea is one of the most popular drinks, especially in «our latitudes». According to historical data, for the first time in Rus’ it was tried back in the 17th century, and it was brought by the Chinese ambassador. A century and a half passed — and not only the nobles, but also ordinary people began to pamper themselves with tea, brewing it in classic samovars.

Thus, tea is practically a “primordially European” drink, which over the past three centuries has become an integral element of everyday cuisine.

However, its beneficial and harmful properties are not known to everyone. But tea is a rather complex chemical substance that has a complex effect on the body. And the effect is not limited to simply increasing physical and vitality.

Two substances, caffeine and theanine, are responsible for the psychostimulant and stimulating effects of tea. They both help wake up, energize and elevate mood, as well as increase mental performance and stamina. Theanine, in addition, has a relaxation effect — that is, it helps to get rid of stress and tension, while improving cognitive qualities.

It is worth noting that theanine in green tea is more than in black. That is why it has a pronounced and noticeable relaxation effect.

Black tea differs from green tea only in the way it is fermented. The plant is the same, but when processed, the chemical composition changes. Therefore, black tea contains less theanine, green tea contains caffeine and theanine in almost natural proportions, and some pu-erh contains a huge amount of tannins, theanine and a minimum of caffeine.

However, the effect of tea is not limited to the invigorating effect. Other useful qualities include improving digestion, improving the cardiovascular system, antiseptic and antiviral properties. Thus, tea has a positive effect on the body. But with proper use.

Tea also has harmful effects. Firstly, it leads to darkening and partial destruction of the enamel on the teeth. Secondly, due to the content of tannins — which are especially abundant in pu-erh and black tea — it is not recommended for use after lunch and in the evening. This can lead to sleep disturbance and the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Tea contains quite a lot of fluorine. This microelement, although useful in small doses, in large doses leads to disruption of the functioning of the thyroid gland, negatively affects the condition of bone tissue and kidneys.

In general, tea is characterized as follows:

1. It has a mild tonic effect due to the content of caffeine, theanine and tannins (tannins);

2. In green tea, all these substances are in close to natural balance. There is less theanine in black. There are a lot of tannins in pu-erh;

3. Theanine not only tones, but also has an excellent psycho-stimulating and relaxation effect. It helps to get rid of stress, tension, relaxes and improves mood;

4. The beneficial effect of tea extends to the circulatory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. It also has an antiseptic and antiviral effect;

5. The harmful effect of tea affects the condition of the enamel on the teeth. Also, when consumed in excess, it impairs the functioning of the thyroid gland, the health of bones and kidneys;

6. Drinking tea after lunch or in the evening is definitely not recommended. May cause sleep disturbances and lead to rheumatoid arthritis.

It should be noted that the tonic effect of tea is slow and mild. The effect of drinking a cup does not appear immediately, but within 3-6 hours after ingestion. This is important to consider, because many people, in order to achieve maximum vigor, brew tea too strong and drink several cups in a row. And after a few hours, they «receive» the overexcitation of the nervous system, when it is no longer required.

Firstly, green maintains a natural balance between theanine and caffeine. Therefore, it simultaneously tones the body and protects the nervous system and psyche from the consequences of excitement (stress, tension, obsessive and depressed states).

Secondly, green tea also contains vitamin C. It additionally heals the body, has a slight tonic effect and significantly strengthens the immune system. In black tea, vitamin C is destroyed during fermentation.

But this does not mean that green tea is a storehouse of vitamins. The fact is that vitamin C is destroyed by heating. For its complete «destruction» it is required to boil for 2-3 minutes. Tea is not brewed, but is brewed with hot water at a temperature of about 90-95 degrees. Therefore, already 15-20 minutes after brewing, vitamin C is destroyed.

Thus, green tea should be drunk immediately after brewing.

Coffee

Coffee is the most popular of invigorating and tonic drinks. It contains caffeine, a powerful psychostimulant that almost instantly “awakens” and energizes. Coffee begins to «act» within a few minutes after drinking — however, its tonic effect also passes quickly.

In particular, for most people, the tonic effect of a cup of coffee occurs within 20 minutes after drinking. And ends in about 2-3 hours. That is why many people drink one cup after another, trying to maintain their energy levels throughout the day. But it’s pretty dangerous. However, more on that later.

First, let’s talk about the benefits of coffee. In addition to a powerful psychostimulant effect, this drink boasts a large amount of antioxidants. These substances slow down the aging of cells and tissues in the body, have a rejuvenating effect and serve to prevent cancer.

Coffee also raises blood pressure. On the one hand, it is very useful for hypotensive patients — it allows you to cheer up and improve your well-being. On the other hand, it is contraindicated in hypertensive patients. They can’t increase the pressure.

Finally, coffee improves digestion. It stimulates the production of gastric juice, which is especially useful for indigestion or similar problems. However, drinking coffee on an empty stomach is undesirable, especially for people at risk of peptic ulcers.

But the harm from coffee is no less than good. First, caffeine is addictive. It manifests itself both in tolerance — in order to cheer up, you need more and more espresso — and in dependence. It can be difficult to “wake up” without a cup of coffee. And the use of caffeine in excessive doses can lead to negative mental phenomena, including stress, anxiety, headaches, nervousness, and even depression.

Coffee, unlike most soft drinks, has strict contraindications for use. Among them are hypertension and peptic ulcers, as well as a tendency to them.

In general, coffee is characterized as follows:

1. A quick tonic effect, which is short-term at the same time — comes after 20 minutes and disappears after 2-3 hours. It is achieved due to the inclusion of a large amount of caffeine in the composition of the drink;

2. Bean and instant (freeze-dried) coffee contain approximately the same amount of caffeine. So there is not much difference between these two types of drink from a chemical point of view. But it is better not to use decaffeinated coffee at all — it undergoes special processing, as a result of which its composition changes greatly;

3. Caffeine has an exclusively psychostimulant effect. Substances that could help avoid the negative side effects of excitation — or even overexcitation — of the nervous system, are not in coffee;

4. The beneficial effect of coffee extends to the cardiovascular and digestive systems, but only in cases where their natural function is reduced;

5. The harmful effect of coffee also affects the cardiovascular and digestive systems in case of hyperfunction or the presence of certain diseases. Also, this drink is addictive and, if consumed excessively, can cause overexcitation of the nervous system with all the “consequences”;

6. Contrary to common misconceptions, you can drink coffee after lunch or even in the evening. The tonic effect will have passed by the time you fall asleep. However, it is worth considering your own metabolism — in some people, caffeine decomposes in the body very slowly and invigorates within 5-6 hours after drinking.

The most unpleasant and negative effect of coffee is the appearance of dependence. It is similar to drug, tobacco or alcohol, but it manifests itself more easily and with a weak withdrawal syndrome. However, with addiction, you have to drink much more coffee than usual for vivacity, and it is no longer possible to “wake up” without it. Yes, and mental consequences like stress, nervousness and headaches will not keep you waiting.

A treatment option for coffee addiction is to consume decaffeinated versions of the drink. However, it is worth remembering that the grains for their preparation undergo a special chemical treatment, so their composition changes significantly.

So, let’s sum up.

All these shortcomings apply not only to grain coffee, but also to instant (sublimated). The chemical composition of these two drinks is the same, as a result of which both positive and negative effects are also similar. The difference is in concentration, also called «strength».

What is better to drink — tea or coffee? Comparison

In comparison of useful and harmful qualities, tea, of course, wins. But everything is good in moderation. When consumed in excess, tea can be quite harmful.

Thus, in terms of benefits, tea wins. And green. However, it is definitely not worth abusing it — it also has a harmful effect. It is recommended to drink tea in the morning to avoid tone before going to bed.

Don’t give up coffee either. A reasonable solution would be its irregular infrequent consumption.

In general, the most correct solution would be to respect diversity. It is worth drinking green tea, and black, and coffee, and compotes, and fruit drinks, and other drinks. Then the body will receive all the necessary nutrients in equal proportions, and the harmful effects will be minimized. Although, of course, coffee should be abandoned if there are contraindications.