Tea or Coffee?

Tea and coffee are undoubtedly the most consumed drinks in the world. Both plants are the reflection of ancient cultures, social conventions and endless stories and rituals around the preparation of their infusions.

However, although tea and coffee are 100% natural beverages and have important similarities, they also differ in their properties.

Less caffeine

Even though one kilogram of tea leaves has more caffeine (tea in the case of tea) than one kilogram of coffee beans, due to the amount of tea needed to make a cup is less than the required amount of coffee, an standard cup of tea will always contain 50% or less of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee.

While a cup of coffee contains between 100 and 110 milligrams of caffeine, a cup of black tea contains between 40 and 50 milligrams. Also a cup of green tea contains between 18 and 20 milligrams of caffeine.

How does this manifest in our nervous system?

The moderate caffeine content on tea beverages is highly effective in increasing concentration and focus levels, making this beverage an excellent choice for everyday activities such as studying or working. Coffee, due to its high caffeine content, produces a feeling of anxiety widely known as “coffee jitters”.

Antioxidants

Although coffee has important antioxidants that regulate blood sugar levels, tea has the antioxidants present in coffee in addition to other varieties due to its components which are the L-Theanine and the Galate of Epigallocatechin which stimulate the metabolism burning fats due to the thermo-caloric effect that they produce. In addition, these antioxidants exclusive to tea, reduce levels of triglycerides in the blood and inhibit the accumulation of fatty acids in the cells which makes this beverage an excellent complement to our daily diet.

Enjoy your tea!