With cold weather slowly starting to breeze in, the drive to stay warm begins to ramp up. Winter coats are purchased, fires are stoked, and dads everywhere finally give in to turning on the heat indoors. Most importantly, warm and cozy drinks come out in full fall swing. Yet, the question remains, what toasty drinks are sipped on the most? A piping hot latte from Starbucks, or a homemade mug of tea, and which is better for your health?
Ivy Kleinman, a senior, is a die-hard tea drinker. Most days she takes it upon herself to bring her own small cup of tea to school to start her day. However, her favorite spot to get tea is Littleton Market in Upper Arlington.
“It’s pretty far away, but it’s totally worth it. They have the best iced matcha there,” Kleinman explains.
Her reasoning for her choice of beverage is one that many people can relate to.
“I like tea better because coffee always ends up hurting my stomach,” Kleinman says.
On the other hand, senior Katie Niebauer is a classic coffee lover. No matter the time of year she can always be found with a cup of joe. Like many others, she likes to get her choice lattes from Starbucks. The fall and winter options are her favorites.
“I like coffee better for sure, I think it tastes better than tea and it gives me extra energy to get through the day,” Niebauer says.
For others, the decision is simply too hard, and both drink options are go-tos for staying warm in the crisp fall weather. Senior Leah Oberle is one of those who loves both tea and coffee.
“I like both of them. I think coffee in the morning is nice because it gets me going, and tea before bed is good because it helps me to relax and wind down so I can sleep,” Oberle says.
But what benefits are there to these drinks? Even more important, what drawbacks? An article by the Washington Post details all the delicious details on these two delectable drinks.
For all the coffee lovers, there is a bounty of benefits that come with the drink. For one thing, coffee is loaded with fiber that is essential to good health. A single cup has around 1.1 to 1.8 grams, which is far less than the daily recommended amount of 25 grams, but is still a wonderful way to begin the fiber journey! Coffee is also said to be able to prevent certain types of cancer. The studies are not completely conclusive, however, the American Cancer Society says that coffee contains biologically active compounds that reduce inflammation, and prevent deterioration of cells. This helps prevent colorectal, prostate, endometrial, oral and liver cancers.
However, there is one main drawback to be aware of if your drink of choice is coffee. Obviously, coffee contains caffeine, however most people don’t know how much is actually in there. A normal cup has up to 100 milligrams of caffeine, whereas a cup of tea the same size would only have around 50. Caffeine at high levels can help with staying awake and focusing, however it can also cause hyperactivity as well as mess up sleep schedules. So coffee drinkers need to remain cognizant of when they are sipping their favorite beverage.
There are also lots of benefits for all the tea drinkers! For starters, tea drinkers have increased longevity. Studies done in the United Kingdom have shown that people who drink at least two cups of tea a day had a 9-13 percent increase in longevity versus people who do not drink tea at all. These studies correlate directly to both green and black tea, making those two kinds the best for a healthy and long life. Tea also does what coffee cannot with its caffeine levels. Most drinkers find that it has just enough caffeine to keep them going throughout the day, but not too much so that they have trouble relaxing and going to bed at night.
So, which drink is better? It seems that there is no clear answer, but both have amazing health benefits, and can help drowsy students lock in on dreary winter mornings! No matter what drink is chosen, both help to set up success!
