Tea vs Coffee - A short summary

In the contest between Tea versus Coffee, you may wait for there to be a clear winner.

The truth is however, that coffee and tea remain two very different beverages that do different things for different folks.
First off, one is made from the leaves of a plant called Camellia sinensis, and the other is made from a bean.
When it comes to greater health benefits tea will ultimately beat coffee, especially white and green tea; but this does not mean coffee does not come with its share of health benefits. Granted tea has more antioxidants per cup when compared to coffee and also contains less caffeine...more below on that.

Some Health Benefits of Tea
• helps build a stronger immune system
• promotes weight loss, younger looking skin, lower cholesterol, and blood pressure
• can help reduce the risk of heart disease and developing certain cancer

Some Health Benefits of Coffee
• also helps fight developing certain cancer
• reduces the risk of getting type 2 diabetes
• may help prevent strokes and aids in liver protection
• increases energy and focus

Tea vs Coffee - Caffeine Information
Nothing beats a morning cup of Joe when needing a boost to start a new day! So coffee has tea beat in this area. But for folks who are sensitive to caffeine perhaps tea is the better beverage.
A cup of black tea has half the amount of caffeine than a cup of coffee, and a larger amount of antioxidants such as plant polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, and tannins. Coffee does not have some these properties present, yet does have its share of minerals.

Oolong, green, and white tea have even less caffeine and even more antioxidants. In fact, white tea has shown to contain the highest levels (beaten only by Olive Leaf Tea), and is one of the best sources when measured by volume for antioxidants compared to other herbs. So if drinking mainly for your health, tea will always beat coffee in terms of antioxidant intake per cup.

But coffee does have its advantages over tea in some areas. As just mentioned, take the simple fact that if you can tolerate caffeine, coffee is a great stimulant, and is helpful in waking folks up in the morning. People also prefer the stronger taste of coffee when having breakfast over the lighter flavor of tea.

Brewing coffee and tea is different for each, as tea is steeped in an infuser or tea bag, while coffee is either made in a percolator or slowly dripped through grains and into a pot (along with other methods).
When it come to tea vs coffee as far as varieties, tea has this one as well. There are literally thousands of varieties and sub varieties of tea that are processed by many different countries and cultures worldwide. Tea is also a more social beverage than coffee and is a better choice if one just wants to relax with a calming drink.

When it boils down to it, it is really on what folks prefer. I can tell you that I used to be a big coffee drinker until I found out about the world of loose leaf tea.

Alternative Health News

Drinking coffee with a high-fat meal 'can raise blood sugar to harmful levels'

Drinking coffee after a high-fat meal can raise your blood sugar to potentially harmful levels, a study has found.

Not only are blood sugar levels increased after a fatty meal, but the rise doubles if the meal is followed by caffeinated coffee, researchers discovered
The study used a specially prepared drink containing molecules of fat, known as lipids, enabling researchers to mimic what happens to the body when fat is ingested.

Healthy men drank about one gram of the fat beverage for every kilo of body weight. Six hours later they were given a sugar drink. Typically when sugar is ingested, the body produces insulin, which takes the sugar out of the blood and distributes it to muscles.

But the researchers, from the University of Guelph in Canada, found fat affected the body’s ability to do this. Blood sugar levels were 32 per cent higher than they were when the men had not ingested the fat cocktai


Read more:

Your Cup, Deconstructed

Are you confused by so many different versions and names for coffee drinks? Here is a simple standard guide. Keep in mind that some baristas may add their own twist to classics. Which one is your favorite?

Espresso - 1oz of single espresso
Cappuccino - 2oz milk foam, 3oz steamed milk and 1oz espresso (my favorite #1)
Latte - 1oz milk foam, 6oz steamed milk and 1oz espresso (my favorite #2)
Americano - 5oz hot water, 1oz of espresso (definitely not for me!)
Cafe Mocha - 1oz milk foam, 5oz steamed milk, 1/2oz chocolate syrup, 1oz espresso and whipped cream on top (some countries in Latin America call this one Cappuccino)
Expresso Macchiato - 1/2oz milk foam, 1/2oz steamed milk, 1oz espresso

Sources: multiple, including healthmag.com

Coffee Lovers

Most of us love coffee, pure or mixed with milk. However, many of us wonder how good or bad it is for our health. In a study published in a special supplement to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers explored the potential benefits of caffeine and found substantial evidence that it may be protective against the cognitive decline seen in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
For the study (“Therapeutic Opportunities for Caffeine in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases”) a group of international experts looked into the effects of caffeine on the brain. The result was a collection of original studies exploring a number of topics ranging from molecular targets of caffeine, neurophysiological modifications and adaptations, to the potential mechanisms underlying the behavioral and protective actions of caffeine in distinct brain pathologies.

Here’s a brief summary of what they found:
1. Caffeine has a positive effect on cognition, memory performance, and the ability to complete complex tasks.
2. An inverse association between regular caffeine consumption and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease was found -- in other words, caffeine looks to be protective against Parkinson’s disease.
3 . The consumption of moderate amounts of caffeine was seen to decrease the cognitive decline associated with aging, as well as the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Caffeine prevented motor deficits, normalized brain function, and prevented brain degeneration.

Other studies have shown:
5. Caffeine improves a sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability.
6. Caffeine enhances aerobic endurance.
7. Consumption of coffee can lead to a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
8. Coffee has a whopping amount of antioxidants -- on average, Americans receive 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants from their 1.64 cups of daily coffee.

When selecting your coffee, opt for Fair Trade, organic, or shade grown–coffees farmed with these farmer and planet-friendly systems are becoming increasingly available in the mainstream marketplace.

Source: Yahoo