At your local grocery store, the beverage aisle offers many tempting beverage choices, from coffee and tea brews to flavorings – both featuring caffeine for energy boosting benefits and helping reduce heart disease risk. But which beverage is truly healthier? The answers might surprise you.

Researchers recently used data from the UK Biobank to analyze the habits of over 32,000 individuals over 10 years, using UK Biobank data as their source. Results indicated that those who drank two or more cups of tea daily were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke compared with those who didn’t drink tea; however, researchers caution that their observational study is inconclusive as no proof was provided that drinking tea decreased those risks; other dietary factors could account for it or perhaps different varieties had different effects than anticipated.

This study’s results are encouraging and suggest there may be advantages to drinking more tea; however, more research needs to be conducted before changing diet drastically. For instance, it would be helpful if people who consumed more tea were also eating more fruits and vegetables and using fewer artificial sweeteners than usual. It is also important to remember that both coffee and tea contain some caffeine; be wary of overindulgence since too much can cause restlessness, jitteriness and an elevated heart rate.

Tea can be an ideal choice for those who want to reduce their caffeine consumption as it contains roughly half as much as coffee and most types do not include calories or added sugars.

Tea is an ideal low-cal beverage and boasts many beneficial antioxidants that may protect against heart disease, cancer and many other illnesses. When selecting your tea varieties be wary as some contain more caffeine than others.

If caffeine consumption is a concern for you, choose black or green varieties instead of herbal varieties; especially beneficial are oolong, pu-erh and matcha teas.

Coffee and tea both can have positive health benefits when consumed in moderation, though be wary of any added sugar or fat from creamers or sweeteners. Incorporate both beverages into your diet while adhering to their recommended daily allowance. For more information about how beverage choices affect overall health, speak to one of Banner Healthcare Provider’s. They’re ready to provide expert advice and assist in creating an optimal plan.