Coffee Vs. Green Tea: Which One Is Best For You?

Tea and coffee are amongst the most popularly consumed hot beverages around the world. Both of which, are often consumed routinely. When we consume something on a regular basis its intake has a huge impact on our health as well as our moods, be it healthy or unhealthy. Hence, it is important to understand whether these beverages are good for our health. If yes, how do these popularly consumed hot beverages benefit us? We must also navigate which one is healthier and ideal for us.

Green Tea

Green tea has been popularly advertised as the healthier alternative to regular tea, which is most commonly consumed in India. Green tea has many health benefits, some of which are:

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Betters metabolism

Green tea has been proven to better metabolism. A fast metabolism indicates that your body can burn calories faster than an average person. This means you can consume more calories without gaining weight and also burn calories easily. Hence, better metabolism boosts fat burn and weight loss. 

Might prevent cancer

Green tea is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight off external radicals that might negatively affect the body. Antioxidants help avoid and reduce cell damage caused by these radicals, which are reactive molecules produced by the body in response to the environment and other causes. Hence, high antioxidants in green tea can help prevent cancer. 

Better brain function

Just like other teas and coffee, green tea is high in caffeine. Caffeine helps us feel energised and boosts our brain's functions. In fact, caffeine has been proven to better various brain functions such as memory, reaction time, mood and attentiveness. It helps us feel active and promotes productivity. 

Might slow down brain ageing

Along with short-term benefits, green tea has proven to also provide long-term benefits to the brain. Green tea has been proven to reduce the risk of developing various neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are some of the diseases caused by brain ageing.

Betters heart health

Various studies have found that green tea can reduce risks for cardiovascular diseases. In addition to this, the metabolic benefits of green tea help us maintain our ideal weight. Obesity can increase our risk of developing other chronic diseases. Hence, consuming green tea can help us avoid obesity and other diseases. 

Coffee 

Coffee is a globally consumed hot beverage. Coffee is popular for its unique flavour and energy-boosting properties. Coffee has various other benefits some of which are:

Prevent cancer

Studies show that coffee can help us by making our DNA stronger. Although it cannot alter our DNA, it protects us from cellular damage that can later negatively alter our DNA. This cellular damage is what can cause cancer. Cellular damage can be caused by various external factors such as prolonged sun exposure, etc. Antioxidants in the coffee can help fight these cell damage-causing radicals.

Better liver health

Caffeine makes our body produce a compound known as paraxanthine, it reduces the creation of scar tissue. This could contribute to the treatment of various liver-related diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cancer, cirrhosis caused by alcohol, and hepatitis C.

Boosts energy

Coffee is popular for being a great morning beverage. The high caffeine content in coffee promotes high energy levels. It may help better your productivity at work as well as while exercising. 

Reduce risks of neurodegenerative diseases

As you grow old, you become more prone to neurodegenerative diseases as a result of brain ageing. Regular consumption of coffee can help you reduce the risks of developing dementia disorders such as Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

What's better for you?

As discussed above, both green tea and coffee have various benefits. In addition to this, both of these contain zero calories which makes them healthy beverages. However, in the case of these exceptions, you might want to avoid consuming them.

Green tea might be unfit for you in case you suffer from:

• Iron deficiency
• Stomach sensitivity; might cause vomiting, nausea and stomach ache 
• Diabetes
• Anxiety or panic attacks
• Heart-related conditions
• Sensitive bowel
• Liver diseases

Green tea is also considered unfit for children, pregnant or/and breastfeeding individuals 

Coffee is considered unfit for these groups of people:

• Children 
• If you have an irregular heart rate or other heart-related diseases 
• People that suffer from sleep disorders
• In case you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks 
• Epilepsy patients 
• People that have overreactive bowel or experience diarrhoea often
• Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals 

If you do not come under any of the categories listed above, you can pick which one is best for you based on preference. 

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.