Making the Call on Tea vs Coffee
For thousands of years people from all over the world have enjoyed it both for its health properties and taste benefits. Tea has long been a staple in the diet of the eastern world as well as in western countries, like Great Britain. Available in countless flavors, it is treasured by many for its versatility.
Some teas serve as the perfect accompaniment to finger sandwiches and petit fours at a proper tea party, while others provide a deep sense of calm and rejuvenation after completing a workout routine. Some people enjoy a strong cup of good tea in the morning to help wake up, while others savor a nice mild cup at night to help them relax for bed.
Tea blends come in a variety of all-natural, herbal flavors. And many blends of tea have been scientifically shown to offer strong health properties. Many teas are rich in antioxidants, which are known to greatly help the human body to defend itself against the onset of many kinds of cancer as well as to shield it from chemical free radicals in the environment. More recently green tea has become the subject of much scientific study, as it has been found to possess very potent anti-oxidant properties. Many scientists believe that the presence of green tea in the daily Japanese diet may be, at least in part, responsible for the country’s lower cancer rate.
As scientists continue to discover more of the potential health benefits of drinking tea, they are also beginning to uncover many of the previously unknown health properties of tea’s common competitor, coffee. Recently scientists have found that like many teas, coffee is extremely rich in antioxidants. Studies conducted in the past decade have, moreover, linked daily coffee drinking to a vast array of health benefits, including cancer prevention and memory preservation.
Most Americans today enjoy coffee both for the caffeine fix it provides and for its bold, smooth flavor. Some people enjoy taking a quick vacation from a long day with a good, strong cup of black espresso, while others look forward to socializing with good friends over a warm, frothy cappuccino at the local cafe. Whether it is treasured for the morning pick-me-up it provides or for its rich, unique flavor, coffee has long been a mainstay in the western diet.
Just as tea comes in a vast array of herbal blends, coffee drinks come in a variety of flavors. And although coffee and tea share many properties and characteristics, coffee is unique in that the taste that is derived from coffee beans will always reflect the soil properties and climate of where they were grown. A coffee brewed from a bean that is grown in one part of the world will have a very different flavor from one brewed from the same bean, grown elsewhere in the world.
One of the major differences between coffee and tea is that tea is more often savored by itself or with very few condiments. In contrast, coffee drinks often include many additives, such as a variety of types of milk, sweeteners, or syrups. Coffee drinks are prepared in countless ways. Thus while the coffee bean itself contains many wonderful health properties, certain coffee drinks can be high in fat or calorie content due to other additives. Tea is thus often a healthier bet than many coffee drinks.
Both coffee and tea are enjoyed for their nutritional and taste properties, yet any lover of either beverage can tell you that the two are very different beverages.
Damian Papworth adores making coffee with one cup coffee makers for his quick morning fix. When he has dinner parties though, his 8 cup coffee maker comes in real handy.
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