People often drink either coffee or tea as their morning beverage of choice; but is one drink truly superior to another? Both drinks offer great health benefits for the body, including hydration, focus, lower cancer risk and heart health. It is important to keep in mind that type and quantity of tea or coffee, along with added sugar can affect its overall benefits; in this article we’ll take a closer look at all their unique characteristics to determine which beverage is healthier:

Tea is an excellent source of antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids that support healthy immunity while decreasing risks such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and more. Furthermore, tea contains caffeine which has been proven to boost energy levels, cognitive performance and athletic performance – this makes black and green tea ideal choices in order to reap the most health benefits.

Tea and coffee both provide L-theanine, an amino acid known to alleviate stress and relax the body. Their high concentration of catechins (phenolic compounds found in green and black tea), contribute to healthy metabolism as well as reduce jittery feelings associated with overindulging in caffeine intake. Furthermore, Theanine slows caffeine absorption rate in your system which may reduce any jitters caused by too much coffee intake.

While coffee may be more widely enjoyed than tea, tea provides more folic acid and calcium for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. Overall, tea may be more suitable than coffee due to being lower in sodium content and not contributing to gout flare-ups.

Coffee and tea can both provide essential nutrition, such as vitamin B3 to lower high blood pressure and prevent high triglycerides, and manganese for bone development. But both beverages contain tannins which may prevent absorption of iron – an essential mineral needed to support healthy bones and muscles – from our meals, so if you drink either regularly, make sure your meals contain foods rich in iron-containing foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, nuts seeds and whole grains to ensure adequate absorption.

Personal preferences and tolerance to caffeine will ultimately dictate which coffee and tea choices to pursue, with less caffeinated options of each available to those sensitive to its effects. Also keep in mind that coffee and tea may have diuretic effects which lead to dehydration; adding milk (including non-dairy options such as almond and coconut) can help ensure you remain properly hydrated while still enjoying your morning beverage of choice. For more information on the positive health impacts associated with coffee and tea beverages, schedule an appointment with a UVA dietitian today!