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Green Tea vs. Black Coffee - The Greatist Debate
With two of the world’s favorite caffeine-packing beverages in the ring, this battle might seem like anybody’s call. But when it comes to choosing the better early morning brew, does coffee or green tea deserve the Greatist crown?
Meet The Competitors
Hailing from the camellia sinesis plant indigenous to mainland China, green tea is packed with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which have been shown to potentially inhibit the growth of some cancers [1]. Research also suggests long-term consumption of green tea might help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary disease [2]. This mellower brew (with approximately 1/3 the caffeine of coffee) has also been linked to stress relief and clearer thinking [3] [4]. Guess they don’t call it “zen” for nothing.
Competition is just as fierce in the other corner. Coffee packs three times the caffeine of green tea and also boasts its own batch of beneficial antioxidants. Drinking java has even been linked to protecting against age-related mental decline [5]. And as with green tea, antioxidants consumed when downing a Cup o’ Joe might also help reduce the risk of type II diabetes [6].
The Decision
While coffee may win a few more popularity points over its leafy green competitor — at least in the West — current research points to no clear-cut healthier choice. Since a significant body of research comes from population surveys as well as animal and in vitro studies, experts are hesitant to steer caffeine lovers in any one direction without more clinical trials [7].
Studies do, however, deem both beverages 100 percent safe, as long as they’re consumed in moderation. Too much caffeine can lead to side effects including insomnia and upset stomach, so those with sleep or anxiety disorders and digestive problems might consider steering clear. For everyone else, three Venti Frappuchinos may be overdoing it, so catch up on safe caffeine intake (around 400mg per day for men, 300mg for women, and just 45mg for kids under 6) before pulling that all-nighter [8]. Green tea, specifically, also contains small amounts of vitamin K, which can make anticoagulant drugs less effective. Among coffee's potential cons are decreased iron and calcium absorption and possible blood pressure spikes among infrequent drinkers.
And while the latest bottled and canned varieties of both drinks are enticing on-the-go, be sure to check the nutrition facts for added sugar, corn syrup, and fat.
Which buzz-worthy beverage gets your vote? Let us know in the comments below!
Works Cited
- A comparison of the morphological changes associated with conventional and sustained treatment with pigallocatechin3gallate, thymoquinone, and tannic acid on lncap cells. Richards, L.R., Jones, P., Beghuzzi, H., et al. University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation.2008; 44: 465-70.⤴
- Beneficial effects of green tea: a literature review. Chacko, S.M., Thambi, P.T., Kuttan, R., et al. NPO International Laboratory of Biochemistry, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya, Japan. Chinese Medicine 2010 Apr 6; 5:13.⤴
- Green tea consumption and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project 1.Kuriyama, S., Hozawa, A., Ohmori, K., et al. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006 Feb; 83(2): 355-61.⤴
- Green tea consumption is associated with lower psychological distress in a general population: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Hozawa, A., Kuriyama, S., Nakaya, N., et al. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 Nov; 90(5): 1390-6.⤴
- Coffee consumption and human health--beneficial or detrimental?--Mechanisms for effects of coffee consumption on different risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ranheim, T., Halvorsen, B. Department of Medical Genetics, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 2005 Mar; 49(3): 274-84.⤴
- Coffee consumption is inversely associated with cognitive decline in elderly European men: the FINE Study. van Gelder, B.M., Buijsse, B., Tijhuis, M., et al. Centre for Prevention and Health Services Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Feb; 61(2): 226-32.⤴
- Tea or coffee? A case study on evidence for dietary advice.Binns, CW., Lee, AH., Fraser, ML. School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA. Public Health Nutrition 2008 Nov; 11(11): 1132-41.⤴
- Beverage caffeine intake in US consumers and subpopulations of interest: estimates from the Share of Intake Panel survey. Knight, CA., Knight, I., Mitchell, DC, et al. Knight International, Chicago, IL. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2004 Dec; 42(12): 1923-30.⤴
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Coffee in the morning and green tea after lunch. Best of both worlds! Great Article.
Wise words, Claudine. Thanks!
I know I should drink more green tea, but I love my black coffee to no end. Good to know it's sort of a win-win competition!
I was a dyed-in-the-wool coffee drinker until I got into green tea. That was many years ago, and I don't regret it. It has far less caffeine, so there's no sharp elevation and equally sharp drop in energy. It has so many more health benefits, it's ridiculous. It does everything from helping with Alzheimers to preventing colds and flu. It also is a big fat burner that increases stamina for workout. Hands down, it's green tea. We've been trying to introduce Americans to green tea by picking the flavors they like best at green-tea-depot.com, and you can find a lot more information there. Soon we'll publish our Official Green Tea Diet too. The difficulty for most Americans is that they're so used to coffee that some green teas seem week, but I recommend the gunpowder teas and the oolongs for them. They pack a bit more punch.
OK wow I think that might jsut work. Wow
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Green tea is better as there is less caffeine and much more health benefits and you can lose some weight. But why stick to green tea, when you can have other varieties of tea as well which have other added benefits?
But people who do drink beverages with caffeine in them have to realize their addiction if they have to have it every day, and that there actually is a dip in their cycle when the caffeine wears off. Most people don't realize that.
For me the question has an easy answer - coffee! The benefits of green tea appeal to me, but with a family history chock full of thyroid disorders, I shouldn't risk it. Green tea is bad, bad news for anyone at risk of thyroid disease.
Very good post by author on Green Tea vs. Black Coffee The Greatist Debate.
I am a tea drinker all the way, usually iced. Black, green...doesn't matter to me as long is it unsweetened. That's where the problem is!
Living in Tennessee, I always have to check my tea because 50% of the time I get sugar when I always ask for UNsweet.
I think there are two issues 1) Servers aren't used to people asking for unsweet tea here in TN, and 2) "sweet" and "unsweet" don't sound all that different.
I vote for a new word: CLEAN. "I'd like a black iced tea, CLEAN." I don't know, I have to get Starbuck's to come up with something. After all, they did get us to say Venti.
A chinese green tea is time proven health benefiting tea. However, it has to be taken regularly, at least four to six cups a day, for at least a year or two to feel the benefit. No use just drinking once in a while.
As much as I'd love to deny it, I'm 100% addicted to coffee. I'll occasionally try to convince myself tea will do the trick, but it never seems to completely fill that caffeine craving!
This is such a great blog post! Very good information! Appreciating the hard work you put into your site and detailed information you present. It’s awesome blog.
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I got myself off my addiction to diet sodas with tea beginning in January. I enjoy both green *and* black teas, sometimes even a blend of the two. The caffeine content of good strong chilled green tea is close to that of the Pepsi Max I was downing like a fiend, and there are no chemical artificial sweeteners involved. I also stop drinking all caffeinated beverages after 3pm or lunch, whichever comes last. Sleep hygiene, dontchaknow...