Well Being Magazine

the truth about coffee & tea

Let’s face it, whether we identify ourselves as “coffee people” or “tea people,” most of us find it difficult to face the day without a boost of caffeine from one source or the other. Our choices between coffee and tea obviously depend on a number of factors – family preference, personal taste, cultural traditions and current trends. Even on the staff of Well-Being, there are proponents of both side of the question.

No matter whether you start your day with a jolt of java or can’t open your eyes without a steaming mug of tea, the good news is that from a health standpoint, both drinks offer significant benefits, when used in moderation. Check out some compelling coffee and tea facts, which might surprise you.

• About 54% of Americans drink coffee daily and average 3.1 cups of coffee each day.

• Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water.

• In the U.S., tea ranks sixth in preference after water, soda, coffee, beer, and milk.

• TEA may help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has been developed.

• WHITE TEA has been found to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than black or green tea.

• Studies have shown that coffee helps to prevent type 2 diabetes.

• People who drink more coffee have been found to be less likely to suffer Alzheimers disease later in life.

• A Dutch study found that moderate coffee drinkers (two to four cups) had a 20% lower risk of heart disease than those who drank less or more than that amount.

• COFFEE improves short-term recall as well as improved reaction times. The largest improvement was in the elderly.

• Tea contains fluoride, which protects teeth.

• A 2001 study on mice found that regular consumption of substances in GREEN  TEA helped to prevent the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

• Drinking 3 to 4 cups of tea a day can cut the chance of a heart attack.

• People who drink black tea 4 times a day for 6 weeks were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

• Drinking coffee has been shown to decrease the risk of developing Gout in men over 40.

• Coffee protects the liver, especially against cirrhosis and liver cancer.

• Approximately 50% of Americans drink tea daily, but not as many cups each day as coffee.

• An 8-ounce cup of coffee, depending on the type and method of brewing, may contain about 80-175 milligrams of caffeine.

• A cup of TEA, again depending on brewing methods, may contain only 30 – 60 milligrams of caffeine.

• Some scientists believe that chemicals found in coffee could be used to make new drugs to treat heart disease and insomnia.

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