Did you know that around 85% of Americans consume at least one caffeinated drink per day? The most common types of caffeinated drinks include coffee, tea, and soda.
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first beverage that you choose? Are you a tea or coffee drinker? Fortunately, there are several health benefits to being both a coffee and a tea drinker.
Keep reading to learn more about the different health benefits of coffee and tea so that you can decide which one to drink first thing in the morning.
Coffee Health Benefits
Approximately 62% of Americans drink coffee every day. Are you part of that 62%? If so, you are probably wondering, “Is coffee good for you?”
Whether you drink coffee because you love the taste or for a morning energy burst, here is a breakdown of some of the health benefits of drinking coffee.
Coffee Helps Burn Fat
One of the best things about drinking coffee in the morning is that it can help burn fat. Based on a study completed by Harvard University, drinking 4 cups of coffee each day can reduce body fat by around 4%.
Of all the different weight loss supplements on the market, coffee may be one of the best.
Full of Essential Nutrients
In addition to helping your burn fat, coffee is full of essential nutrients. Coffee contains vitamin B12, vitamin B5, vitamin B3, and potassium. While coffee doesn’t contain all the vitamins you need each day, it is a good start.
These vitamins are essential for replacing red blood cells, converting food into energy, lowering cholesterol, and increasing brain function.
Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Did you know that drinking coffee can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes occurs when someone develops insulin resistance and is no longer able to secrete insulin.
On average, people that drink coffee daily have an 11% less chance of developing type 2 diabetes than someone that doesn’t drink coffee.
In addition to lowering the chance of developing type 2 diabetes, coffee is also beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes can lower their risk of early death by drinking coffee every day.
Lower Chance of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease
Drinking coffee every day may lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder that leads to dementia.
Unfortunately, once someone develops Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure. That is why it is important to try to prevent it as much as possible.
Some studies have shown that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day can decrease someone’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by around 65%.
Decrease the Risk of Developing Parkinson’s Disease
Another one of the most common neurological disorders is Parkinson’s Disease. Like Alzheimer’s, once someone develops Parkinson’s disease, there is no cure.
One of the leading factors in who will develop Parkinson’s Disease is genetics. Parkinson’s Disease occurs when neurons in the brain die. Studies have shown that consuming coffee can help prevent Parkinson’s in people that have the gene.
Tea Health Benefits
Do you prefer drinking tea instead of coffee? If so, tea also comes with a wide range of different health benefits. Some of the benefits are similar to coffee, and others are different.
The benefits you get from drinking tea will depend on the specific types of tea you drink. For example, green tea may improve your digestive system, while black tea boosts your immune system.
Here is a list of the most common tea health benefits.
Tea Helps Burn Fat
Like coffee, tea may be able to help you burn fat. This is one of the many caffeine health benefits. In addition to caffeine helping to burn fat, tea also contains a form of polyphenol, which is beneficial when trying to lose weight.
While some studies suggest that tea boosts your metabolic rate, other studies have found mixed results.
Lower the Risk of Cancer
Did you know that drinking tea might be able to reduce your risk of cancer? While it is not proven yet that tea reduces the chance of developing cancer, there are antioxidants in tea that give it the potential to help.
Tea may be able to protect cells from DNA damage, prevent cancerous tumors from growing, increase the immune system, and protect against UV radiation.
Good for Your Heart
Another benefit of drinking tea in the morning is that it can improve your heart health. Tea helps to lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol). This helps keep your heart healthy and decreases the risk of heart disease.
In a study completed on 80,000 people, drinking tea every day for six years decreased their risk of developing heart disease by 8%.
Improve Digestion
If you want to improve your digestive tract, you should consider drinking herbal tea. Many herbal teas can help with nausea, indigestion, and constipation. For example, peppermint tea is known to reduce irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and help relax the digestive tract.
Some other common types of herbal tea to improve your digestive health include ginger, dandelion, fennel, and gentian root.
Lower Change of Developing Dementia
Like coffee, tea has the ability to increase brain function and reduce the risk of dementia. This is true in individuals that are at a higher risk of developing dementia.
One study shows that people that drink tea have a 50% lower risk of developing dementia than people that don’t drink tea.
Tea or Coffee: Which Is Best for You?
Whether you prefer to drink a cup of coffee or a cup of tea, there are health benefits to both. Coffee drinkers can drink happily knowing that coffee helps burn fat and is full of nutrients. Tea drinkers may be able to lower the risk of cancer and improve heart health.
Did you enjoy reading this article about the health benefits of tea or coffee? Do you want to learn more about eating healthily? If so, check out the nutrition category to learn more about the best fuel for your body.