To compare coffee and tea, you must first realize that each is a complex beverage. Coffee, for example, contains hundreds of different compounds. Tea, on the other hand, is noted for its antioxidant content. Many people first think of caffeine, especially for coffee, but tea also contains caffeine. Caffeine from any source has a variety of health effects. It has been found to increase the risk of miscarriage, can cause heartburn, sleep problems and anxiety.
Coffee and Health
According to research reported by Melinda Beck in the "Wall Street Journal," coffee can decrease the risk of developing diabetes, increase the risk of gallstones, decrease the risk of stroke, decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease and decrease the risk of prostate cancer. All of these effects on health were related to different amounts of coffee intake.
Tea and Health
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, drinking green or black tea will provide protection from heart disease and green tea protects against stroke. Tea protects animals against cancer, but the Institute notes the same has not been proved for humans. Green tea, according to the Mayo Clinic, reduces the risk of heart disease and reduces inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Green tea also seems to protect the liver from damage from toxic substances such as alcohol. Men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop liver disorders.
Coffee vs. Tea
In some cases, neither coffee nor tea confers a particular benefit. G. Fagherazzi, writing in "Public Health and Nutrition" in April 2011, noted no relationship between coffee, tea or caffeine intake and breast cancer risk. In other cases, both coffee and tea have benefits; another study, led by K. Tanaka, was reported in the April 2011 issue of "Parkinsonism and Related Disorders." Black tea, Japanese and Chinese teas decreased the risk of Parkinson's disease. In this case, the important constituent seemed to be the caffeine, as caffeinated coffee had a similar effect.
Considerations and Warnings
Neither tea nor coffee is completely harmless, especially if consumed in large amounts---primarily due to the effects of caffeine. But moderate consumption is unlikely to cause problems, with one exception. Dr. Rob van Dam, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, does not recommend pregnant women drink more than one cup of coffee per day, both because of the risk of miscarriage and because of coffee's effects on the fetus.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health; The Nutrition Source; Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health; Rob van Dam, M.D.
- "Wall Street Journal"; Evidence of Coffee's Health Benefits; Melinda Beck; December 2009
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute; Tea and Chronic Disease Prevention; Jane Higdon, Ph.D. ; November 2002
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Rachel Huxley, D.Phil.; Crystal Man Ying Lee, Ph.D.; Federica Barzi, Ph.D.; Leif Timmermeister; Sebastien Czernichow, M.D., Ph.D.; Vlado Perkovic, M.D., Ph.D.; Diederick E. Grobbee, M.D., Ph.D.; David Batty, Ph.D.; Mark Woodward, Ph.D.; 2009
- "Public Health Nutrition"; No Association Between Coffee, Tea Or Caffeine Consumption And Breast Cancer Risk In A Prospective Cohort Study. G.Fagherazzi, M.S. Touillaud , M.C. Boutron-Ruault, F.Clavel-Chapelon, I. Romieu; April 2011
- "Parkinsonism And Related Disorders"; Intake Of Japanese And Chinese Teas Reduces Risk Of Parkinson's Disease. K. Tanaka, Y. Miyake, W. Fukushima, S. Sasaki, C. Kiyohara, Y. Tsuboi, T. Yamada, T. Oeda, T. Miki, N. Kawamura, N. Sakae, H. Fukuyama, Y. Hirota, M. Nagai; March 2011
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