Coffee Caffeine vs Green Tea: Which is Better for Health?
After water, tea is the world’s most frequently consumed beverage. Coffee is also trendy in many different countries. In the United States, about 85% of adults take coffee regularly. The average daily intake is around 180mg, approximately two coffee cups.
People usually take coffee and green tea for their unique taste and health benefits. Coffee caffeine vs green tea is a very long debate. It’s not a new topic but is generally compared for its remarkable health benefits and caffeine content.
This article has compared coffee and green tea from different angles to help you make a perfect choice. You can prepare green tea with the Camellia sinensis plant‘s unfermented leaves and coffee with grounded coffee beans. Let’s dig into the article to find some interesting details about coffee caffeine vs green tea.
Coffee content
Caffeine is the world’s most common stimulant that is naturally present in tea and coffee. Besides, tea and coffee are our diet’s most common caffeine sources. However, coffee has around three times more caffeine as compared to green tea. A 240ml coffee serving has 96mg of caffeine, while the same green tea amount is 29mg.
According to the research, 400mg of caffeine in one day is safe for adults. However, the recommended level for teenagers is 100mg per day and 2.5mg for children. Due to its multiple benefits, caffeine is among the most researched substances. Caffeine includes:
- Increases alertness, energy levels, wakefulness, and attention
- Enhances exercise performance
- Lower the physical and mental fatigue
- Improve the accuracy and quickens the reaction time
- Boost memory and mood
According to the research, caffeine reduces the brain’s degenerative diseases and dementia risks. It also has protective effects on brain health. Some studies also show the relation between caffeine intake with low chances of type 2 diabetes.
However, the research on diabetes and caffeine is still questionable, as some studies show that it increases blood sugar levels. To find out the potential caffeine effects, more research is needed.
Coffee has more caffeine
Coffee can be the best choice if you are a caffeine lover.
- Brewed green tea: 29.4mg
- Brewed coffee: 91.8mg
But a heavy intake of caffeine isn’t a healthy option. According to the research, people have different levels of caffeine sensitivity. It can be due to the caffeine breakdown by the enzymes present in the body. It can be due to the caffeine-targeted receptor of the body.
Some people don’t have any issues with drinking caffeine even before bedtime. But some may have a lot of trouble falling asleep due to the caffeine intake. If you feel caffeine sensitivity but still want to have it, switch to coffee with a low-caffeine drink like green tea.
Health benefits
Coffee and green tea has many health benefits like high antioxidant level and weight loss effects.
Antioxidant source
Free radicals play different roles that benefit the body but also lead to oxidative stress. It’s a damaging process that can harm health by speeding up the aging process and causing different diseases.
Fortunately, they are also rich the antioxidants called polyphenols. Both drinks are beneficial for flavor and health. The chlorogenic acid and the Epigallocatechin gallate is the most abundant polyphenol in coffee and green tea.
Luckily green tea and coffee are rich in antioxidants. These compounds have many benefits but especially against the oxidative stress process. According to the test tube studies and the one conducted on animals, it may have an anti-cancer effect. For instance, the EGCG can hinder tumor spreading and growth through its anticancer effects.
The anti-inflammatory properties also prevent the chronic inflammation that onsets cancer. At the same time, the CGA can promote cancer cell death by inhibiting tumor growth. The CGA also benefits skin, endometrial, and liver cancer. Controlling the blood glucose level also helps heart health and improves the insulin response to the body.
Weight loss
The EGCG in the green tea and the coffee CGA work together with caffeine. They both provide the drinks and weight loss properties. Animal studies show that CGA lowers blood cholesterol, insulin, and triglycerides in the blood and reduces visceral fat and weight.
The visceral fat is stored the in the abdomens around the organs. It increases diabetes and heart disease risks. In addition, it benefits the gut bacteria that improve insulin sensitivity and have many other benefits.
- It reduces hunger.
- Activate the brown adipose tissue, a fat tissue that decreases with age.
- Increases the calories burned.
BAT can produce module fat, heat, and glucose metabolism.
L-theanine in green tea
L-theanine is a naturally present amino acid present in green tea. This compound can affect the brain and increases concentration and alertness. In another study, L-thiamine, present in the same amount of tea as the 6.8 ounces, was given to the group of people.
The participant taking in the L-theanine has the same amount of alpha brainwave functioning, indicating an alert mental state and calm behavior.
Reduces the specific health risks
The evidence shows that green tea reduces the risk of diabetes, stroke, and depression. Coffee reduces the heart diseases risk! Should you switch? Both green tea and coffee have potential health benefits. You don’t need to change; you can have both but with a limit.
Green tea is healthy if you want less caffeine
If you are sensitive to caffeine, find out what makes you anxious and jittery after drinking coffee. Switching to decaf herbal tea or green tea is a perfect idea. Though caffeine is present in green tea, it’s about four times less than the same amount of coffee.
On the other hand, if you need caffeine boost or want a caffeinated beverage to benefit your performance before the workout. Then coffee can be a better choice for you. It can lead to adverse effects, restlessness, and other effects, even if you aren’t sensitive.
Coffee caffeine vs Green Tea: Which is better?
Graphics Credit: Robustalive.com
Having a cup of coffee in the morning and a light caffeinated green tea in the afternoon is a perfect way to add some antioxidants and reduce caffeine in the morning.
Coffee and green tea is a safe beverages with antioxidants and caffeine benefits. Both of the following drinks are related to the decreased risk of certain diseases. However, people with insomnia, anxiety and panic disorders should prefer green tea instead of the high caffeine coffee as green tea has L-theanine that promotes alertness and a calm state.
Besides the high caffeine amount in the coffee can make people caffeine dependent while green tea doesn’t affect that badly. But if you want to have increased alertness and improved physical performance, then coffee should be preferred. In the end, find the better drink; it comes down to your needs.
Conclusion
In most people’s diets, coffee and green teas are the two healthy drinks. They have the same health benefits, anticancer effects, and weight loss properties due to their antioxidant content and caffeine.
They also have the potential side effects due to the added nutrients like the creamers, sugar, and flavor syrups. Considering that coffee has high caffeine, and green tea has a high L-theanine content, that can help you decide which is better.
FAQ’s
Coffee caffeine vs green tea which is healthier?
Green tea and coffee both have a boost of antioxidants and boost of energy. Besides, these sips can protect against specific health conditions. Coffee has high caffeine content and provides the same beneficial compounds. One of the drinks isn’t specifically better than the other; it depends on the needs.
Why it’s better to switch from coffee to tea?
Regular coffee provides a lot of energy in the caffeine form. The high caffeine is difficult to give up due to its withdrawal symptoms. Switching from coffee to tea is more accessible because that is a caffeine source, L-theanine, and other beneficial nutrients.
Why do people quit coffee?
Giving up coffee allows the adenosine in the body to reset and fix the sleeping schedule. When you quit caffeine intake, your body will slowly get back to the normal working position. You may also observe better sleeping patterns, stable moods, and more energy.
What are the benefits of giving up coffee?
There are many health benefits of giving up coffee. These benefits include:
- Better sleep
- Low anxiety level
- Happier feeling
- Increase in concentration
- Benefits of mineral and vitamin absorption
- The shift in the belly fat
- Save your cash
- Reduce the daily calorie intake
References
- https://www.medicinenet.com/how_much_caffeine_is_in_green_tea_vs_coffee/article.htm
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-tea-vs-coffee
- https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19924479/coffee-vs-green-tea/
- https://greatist.com/health/green-tea-vs-coffee
- https://www.byrdie.com/green-tea-caffeine-versus-coffee-4766573
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372
- https://www.medicinenet.com/how_much_caffeine_is_in_green_tea_vs_coffee/article.htm
