Is your first thought upon waking, “Time to go make coffee?” Can you simply not function until you’ve had that first – or second, or third – cup of coffee? For many Americans, that caffeine in coffee is their morning fuel. But across the ocean, it is more common for Europeans to drink tea in the morning.
What do they know that you don’t? The truth is, if you really prefer coffee and can’t stand tea, then keep doing what works for you. But if you’re open to it, you should consider trading your cup of coffee for a cup of tea, and here’s why.
Health Benefits
There have been lots of studies about the health benefits of coffee, and it seems like experts can’t come to an agreement. Some say it’s bad; some say it’s good. You don’t have to play a guessing game with your health. Just about all experts agree that tea has excellent health benefits. Tea contains lots of antioxidants, and the antioxidants and enzymes in tea are known to prevent cancer, heart disease, and inflammation. For example, one study in particular has shown that green tea in particular reduces the risk of esophageal cancer in women by 60 percent and of lung cancer in general. Tea is also known to prevent and slow the progression of type 1 diabetes.
Caffeine
You might be thinking that the health benefits sound great and all, but you just can’t sacrifice the caffeine you get from drinking coffee. But you don’t have to. Black tea has a just about equal amount of caffeine as most coffee does. Other teas, unless they’re decaffeinated, have less but still have enough to perk you up. In fact, drinking tea is a better way to get your morning boost. Tea gives you the caffeine you need to get going, but it will not lead to as harsh a let-down later in the day as coffee will.
Other Great Reasons to Switch to Tea
Have you noticed that with all your coffee-drinking that your teeth are getting a bit yellower? Coffee stains your teeth, and it will very noticeably decrease the whiteness of them over time. Tea will not stain your teeth, and it actually contains fluoride that will help protect your teeth. It has also been shown that people who regularly drink tea have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies. You’re probably stressed enough as it is. If you just switch to tea, it will help decrease that stress. It’s a very simple way to help yourself out.
Flavors
There are many different flavors of coffee, but in the end they don’t all taste so different from each other. If you think you’d be bored with tea, think again. There are so many different types of tea that you’re bound to find at least a few flavors you love. If you’re having a hard time choosing, go with black tea – it’s simple and has as much caffeine as you’re looking for. If you want to drink the types of teas with the highest concentrations of antioxidants and other health properties, go with white or green.
Chelsea Smith is a nutrition major at the University of Texas who is obsessed with health and blogging. She loves to write about food and healthy intake and recently wrote an article about healthy, quick meals.
Photo Credit: d o l f i
