Which is better for your health? Coffee or Green Tea?

Most people like to start their day with a hot cup of coffee or green tea because it helps them to feel alert and focused at work or school. Coffee and green tea are two of the most popular beverages in the world, especially in coffee- and tea-drinking countries such as the United States, England, Japan, and China. 

These hot drinks provide warmth and comfort on cold days, as well as give people energy to start their day or boost their afternoon productivity. 

But does one drink really give you more energy than the other? Do they both offer the same health benefits? To help you answer these questions, here’s an overview of what you need to know about coffee and green tea.

Coffee vs Green Tea - Is Coffee Healthier Than Green Tea?

We're going to cut right to it: Both coffee and green tea have health benefits. Coffee is high in antioxidants and fiber, so drinking a cup of coffee could improve heart function (particularly if you’re at risk of developing diabetes). 

Green tea is higher in catechins than other teas, which are good antioxidants that can help reduce your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. The takeaway here? 

Both are healthy options, but one isn't healthier than another - they simply have different benefits. 

If you're already a fan of one, just stick with it! No need to switch. If you want to reap all the benefits of both drinks (because why not), alternate between them daily or every few days.

Why coffee is good for you?

Coffee is a source of antioxidants, and those are great for heart health, according to research from Harvard. Antioxidants are also believed to help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. 

Coffee can help you maintain lean muscle mass—plus, coffee drinkers tend to be more physically active than non-coffee drinkers. Caffeine can improve memory and reaction time—all good things when it comes to being productive at work.

Coffee has antioxidants in it

Coffee contains polyphenols, which are a form of antioxidant. Antioxidants help decrease risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and may even help reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease. Coffee also has chlorogenic acid in it, which helps reduce glucose absorption after meals and thus reduces blood sugar spikes.

Drinking coffee helps with focus

Although there’s a significant amount of evidence that coffee can potentially help with focus, several studies have also shown that it could actually make people less productive. Coffee and green tea are both caffeine-based drinks and offer similar benefits, including increased energy levels, enhanced mental alertness, and better mood. But when it comes to making you more productive at work, they differ in very important ways. 

So which drink should you drink to help you get through your day on four hours of sleep? The answer might surprise you! But first, let’s talk about what these drinks have in common. 

Both coffee and green tea are made from caffeinated plants. They both stimulate brain activity, induce alertness, and can cause a decrease in fatigue levels. 

Coffee comes from coffee beans (coffee) and contains caffeine and antioxidants; green tea comes from a variety of plants in different regions around the world—the most common being Camellia sinensis —and also contains caffeine but usually has more antioxidants than coffee does. 

In addition to these two drinks, energy drinks—like Red Bull and Monster Energy—also contain high amounts of caffeine that give you a boost when you need it most. 

A study conducted by Lance Becker at UC Berkeley discovered that drinking coffee might make people less productive when they’re trying to work on creative tasks because it interferes with short-term memory as well as focus. So what about green tea, which is so often marketed as a healthy drink option? 

Although studies have shown it can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, there isn’t much data available about how it affects productivity levels. 

So let’s talk about caffeine content and different types of coffee and green teas (iced vs hot) and see if we can determine which one helps you get through your day with more energy! Caffeine Content in Coffee and Green Tea: 

When coffee beans are roasted, caffeine is released from coffee bean seeds. Roasting coffee beans burns off about 5% to 10% of its caffeine content—and espresso has even less than brewed coffee does due to its high water content.

 A typical cup of coffee contains between 100mg and 200mg of caffeine depending on how strong it is and what type you drink; a typical cup of green tea contains about 50mg. Different types of coffee and green teas contain different amounts.

How to choose the best coffee for you

Coffee and green tea come from very different plants and have wildly different flavors and health benefits. While coffee’s bitter flavor makes it the go-to drink of most caffeine fiends, some people swear by the earthy taste of green tea. 

There are also several types of coffee to choose from, such as arabica and robusto; the latter is especially common at Starbucks. And what you want in a cup can vary based on how you like to consume it: some people take creamers, while others are purists who only use milk or sugar in their coffee.

Types of coffee

There are two different types of coffee beans: Arabica, which has a fruity flavor, and Robusto, which has a milder taste. 

There are also five different types of blends: arabica-robusto blends, which is what we’re all used to; arabica-arabica mixes; robusto-robusto blends; robusto-arabica mixes; and robusrocti.

Types of Green Tea

Green teas vary in their levels of oxidation, which affects how healthy they are. The three main types of oxidized green teas are: sencha, bancha and kukichacha. 

Sencha and bancha have undergone more oxidation than kukichacha and both contain high levels of antioxidants. 

Kukichacha contains low levels of antioxidants, but it’s still a healthy option when compared to most other forms of tea on the market. It has also been shown to be rich in polyphenols—particularly catechins, which have been linked with some heart-health benefits and may reduce cholesterol levels.

 There are also lower levels of caffeine in kukichacha than sencha and bancha—it only has about 25 milligrams per cup as opposed to 40-60 milligrams in sencha and bancha.

Bancha is commonly mixed with matcha powder, a fine powder made from ground sencha leaves.

Reasons why green tea should be part of a healthy diet

Green tea can be a healthy part of a well-balanced diet. It contains no cholesterol, has no trans fats and very little saturated fat. It also has antioxidants that may protect against certain cancers, and it’s full of phytonutrients called polyphenols that may reduce risk of heart disease. 

On top of all that, one recent study showed drinking three to five cups a day might help boost metabolism. 

Caffeine adds a little pep and helps fight tiredness (and even small amounts can be helpful in boosting concentration). In addition, coffee and green tea both have polyphenols (including EGCG) with known anti-inflammatory properties that could be helpful in preventing disease. 

So which should you drink: coffee or green tea? Your choice depends on what you are trying to achieve—and we say go for both!

Switching from coffee to green tea can cause headaches

It’s important to remember that both coffee and green tea contain caffeine. But which has more? The key difference between coffee and green tea when it comes to caffeine content is brewing time. 

Steeping a bag of tea leaves in hot water releases its flavor much faster than letting coffee grounds seep in boiling water, but generally speaking, one cup of black coffee contains more caffeine than a similar amount of brewed black tea—not surprising considering how strong fresh-brewed can be.

Benefits of green tea and coffee

Both coffee and green tea have their benefits. Coffee, while containing more caffeine, also contains natural antioxidants that may reduce your risk of heart disease, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. 

While studies have been done on both coffee and green tea, research hasn’t yet shown a conclusive benefit to one over another. The reason why you should drink either beverage is because they both provide antioxidants that help to reduce oxidative stress in our bodies. 

Additionally, having some caffeinated beverages in your diet can make it easier to sleep at night; if you need help winding down before bed time, try a cup of coffee (or chamomile tea).

1. Skin Friends

Both coffee and green tea have been shown to have many benefits for our skin. Coffee can help us stay hydrated as well as increase collagen production, which keeps skin looking smooth and elastic.

Green tea contains anti-inflammatory properties that fight against harmful free radicals that break down collagen, making it great to drink while we sleep. Both beverages are packed with polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants that protect our skin from harmful UV rays.

2. Helps in Weight Loss

Studies have consistently shown that both coffee and green tea can help people lose weight, but there are some key differences between them. Green tea contains catechins, a type of antioxidant that has been linked to various health benefits. 

Catechins give green tea its bitter taste, but they can also provide protection against cancer and tooth decay.

Coffee does not contain these antioxidants. Research on coffee has found it might be effective at lowering blood pressure, which is especially helpful for those who already suffer from hypertension.

3. Stress Reduction

Although both coffee and green tea offer a similar caffeinated kick, they do different things to your body. Coffee stimulates us and wakes us up. It’s not recommended to drink coffee after noon if you have trouble sleeping at night.

Green tea promotes relaxation and helps reduce stress. Since it has less caffeine than coffee, drinking it in moderation may help with insomnia and help you sleep at night. If you like to drink both, drink green tea in the morning as a healthy alternative to coffee throughout the day.

4. Coffee and Green Tea face mask

Coffee and green tea also have their benefits. Coffee can help you lose weight, boost metabolism, and reduce appetite. Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. 

Both are good choices when it comes to wellness. That said, coffee vs green tea will be looked at differently by different people, depending on their values around caffeine intake. 

If you’re a regular coffee drinker then switching to matcha might be impossible because of its strong taste.

A face mask of coffee and green tea could give you amazing results as it does wonders for skin.
Blend few green tea leaves with 2 tablespoons of milk in grinder until smooth paste is formed. Mix well with 1 tablespoon each of honey and plain curd (yogurt). Apply on clean face & neck after cleansing; leave it till dry & wash off with lukewarm water using gentle circular motions.

Conclusion

Coffee and green tea each have their own benefits and drawbacks. When you consume coffee, you do get a boost of caffeine, which will help to wake you up. 

The issue with consuming too much coffee is that it can eventually leave you jittery and irritable. Green tea, on the other hand, provides less caffeine per cup than coffee but more antioxidants—around three times as many as coffee! 

Some studies have shown that there might be an association between coffee consumption and cancer of various types; in contrast, drinking about four cups (400 ml) of green tea per day has been linked to lowering cholesterol levels. 

Which means it’s not as clear-cut as we once thought: It’s hard to say if coffee or green tea is healthier overall because they don’t really stack up in terms of pros and cons.