Thinking of switching from coffee to tea?

Here's a list of advantages you may not

have thought about before that may help you decide!
- Economic: Tea and coffee both vary in price depending on your source, but many
teas (whites, greens and oolongs, and some pu'ers) can be resteeped multiple times
using the same leaves, thereby costing less per cup overall than coffee. The spentleaves can also be used as an excellent mulch/fertilizer for your flower/vegetable
garden (though to be fair - so can coffee!)
- Simplicity: To get the best possible flavor out of coffee you must grind your own
beans (grinder: $20+) just before brewing and use a coffee machine ($20+) with
single-use filters ($5+, recurring). Tea leaves require no preparation, wasteful filters
or expensive gizmos in order to extract the best possible flavor - simply drop them
in hot water, strain and pour.
- Environmental: Coffee filters can be used only once and are then thrown away.
None are needed for tea. Tea companies are also, on the whole, much more
involved with eco-friendly, fair-trade and organic projects and processes. The coffeeroasting process also emits particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, organic
acids and many gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere. Many types of tea
processing involve little more than human labor and sun- or wind-wilting. Baking
processes used to complete the drying cycle can emit greenhouse gasses but do so
to a far lesser degree than coffee processing, due to the lower temperatures and
length of time used in tea processing. Finally, tea weighs much less than coffee,
requiring less fossil fuel (on a cup-to-cup basis) to ship and export it around the
world.
- Variety: While coffee can be made from multiple types of beans, tea is generally
derived only from a single plant. That said, the various methods of preparing and
oxidizing tea results in a much wider variety of tastes than you'll find between
different blends of coffee.
- Cultural: Almost every culture in the world has a tea tradition of one sort or
another, and these traditions are often central to the act of meeting and greeting
friends and newcomers. Having an appreciation of tea and tea rituals can often get
you past many language or cultural barriers when traveling overseas. After water,
tea is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world. (Take that, coffee!)
- Historical: Tea has been widely used since around 2700 B.C.. Coffee, in its
present form, has probably only been used since around 800 A.D.. Four thousand
years of tea-drinking has to account for something. :)
- Cosmetic: Most teas (greens, whites and many oolongs) won't stain your teeth black tea will still cause stains, but to a lesser degree than coffee. Some teas have
antioxidants and natural fluorides that protect your teeth from cavities - the tannins
in black teas hav a bactericide effect that will kill many of the bacteria that can
cause cavities (and bad breath!).
- Dietetic: Many coffee-drinkers can't stand the taste on its own, and must add
milk, cream, and/or sugar in order to make it palatable. Tea on the other hand is

much less harsh/bitter on its own, and is widely enjoyed without additives of any
kind. Tea may also help boost metabolism, which can help dieters lose weight faster.
- Novelty: Tea consumption is on the rise in America, but in many places it is still
considered a relative "novelty" (at least outside of iced tea and the usual "Lipton"
mass-market offerings). Be the first on your block to introduce your friends and
family to the wonderfully wide and varied world of tea!
- Health: Coffee has been linked to a handful of health benefits, but it can also lead
to hypertension, caffeine-related problems and heart disease. Tea has dozens of
proven and widely-suggested health benefits. The following is just a sampling:
- Tea has much less caffeine than coffee - between 25-50% as much.
- Tea contains tannins and catechins which have been associated with cancer and
heart disease prevention
- Tea has been shown to act as a stress-reliever.
- Tea contains the polyphenol quercetin, which may interrupt the oxidation of LDL or
"bad cholesterol". It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, suppress aging,
prevent food poisoning and skin disease and act as an anti-viral. Quercetin can also
act as a natural COX-2 inhibitor, providing pain-relief similar to pharmeceutical
versions like Vioxx and Celebrex.
- Tea decreases triglycerides and free fatty acids in your bloodstream, while coffee
contains cafestol, a fat-like chemical that actually can increase your cholesterol
levels.
- Tea contains EGCG and theaflavins which can suppress the enzymes required for
cancer-cell growth, thereby slowing the progression of some cancers. (Some
research suggests that the antioxidants in tea may neutralize this effect, however).
- Tea is a digestive aid, it flushes the digestive system.
- Unlike coffee, tea has almost no carbohydrates, fats or proteins.
- Tea contains L-theanine, which has been shown to boost mental alertness and help
the body's immune system.
- Oxalates found in tea can bind with free iron in the bloodstream, which can help
the body fight HIV.
- Polyphenols in green tea can reduce intestinal inflammation related to IBD.
- Tea can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer's
- Tea may also be a significant factor in strengthening bones against oseoporosis
- Tea lowers your blood pressure
- Tea can help prevent kidney stones
- Some anti-venom serums have actually been extracted from black tea!

5 Reasons Why Tea is More Beneficial Than Coffee

Between my part time law degree program and working full time, I used to consume quite a bit
of coffee. But one day I decided that I had enough of the shaky hands and increased feelings of
anxiety from all that caffeine, so I decided to swap my coffee for a much milder drink: tea.
I have never felt better! Tea also contains caffeine, so I am still able to maintain high energy
levels, but because my tea has less, I can avoid the jittery stages of coffee-overload. My

experience with tea led me to do a little online research into its benefits, and I was amazed to
find some powerful reasons why tea is better than coffee.
Here are 5 great reasons why tea is better for you than coffee:
1. Tea is Better for Your Teeth
While years of drinking coffee will inevitably stain your teeth, tea can actually have a reverse
affect. Tea contains fluoride which helps protect and clean teeth, so drinking tea not only
hydrates but can also brighten your smile!
2. Tea is Better for Your Heart
As tea contains substantially less caffeine than coffee, tea can be much easier on your heart.
Whats more, studies have shown that people who drink 3 to 4 cups of tea a day can reduce their
chance of a heart attack and heart disease.
3. Tea Has More Relaxing Affects
While coffee is known to increase anxiety and paranoia, tea is known for having more relaxing
and sedative affects. A recent study showed that people who drank four cups of black tea a day
for six weeks were found to have reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood
after a stressful event.
4. Tea is Less Addictive
Although both tea and coffee contain caffeine, tea contains substantially lesser amounts and so in
turn is much less addictive than coffee. Regular coffee drinkers often struggle to get through
their day without several cups where as tea generally doesnt have nearly as an addictive affect.
5. Tea Can Improve Your Breath
While coffee is notorious for causing bad breath, there is evidence that tea can actually help
improve it! Properties in tea known as tea phenolics have been shown to help inhibit the growth
of bacteria that can cause excessive bad breath.
As you can see, tea is very good for you! Although coffee isnt all bad and does have some
redeeming qualities too, overall tea is usually a healthier choice.

For some people, nothing gets them ready to take on the day better than a hot cup of coffee.
What many don't realize is that, although coffee is not essentially unhealthy, tea can be a better
alternative. Although most tea does contain some caffeine, it is full of beneficial nutrients as
well.
Extensive research has been conducted on the health benefits of tea and coffee. Although
research has indicated that coffee does have some health benefits, these are far outweighed by
the health benefits of tea. Almost all varieties contain high levels of anti-oxidants, which are
nutrients and vitamins that help purge the human body of toxins.
Green tea, an extremely popular drink around the world, is perhaps the healthiest variety.
Research indicates that it can help prevent cancer, fight plaque on teeth, and lower cholesterol,
blood sugar, and blood pressure. In addition, some believe that drinking green tea may slow the
aging process by giving the body large amounts of antioxidants several times more powerful than
vitamin E.
Tea can also act as a mild pain reliever. This is due the high levels of quercetin found in it.
Although not strong enough to treat serious pain, the quercetin can benefit victims of mild
arthritis or other inflammatory conditions.
Although many choose to drink coffee for its strong taste and high levels of caffeine, the caffeine
that is present can be its downfall with many consumers. People who drink too much coffee may
feel anxious and jumpy. Often, this is followed by a "crash," or sudden loss of energy. This is
because, with coffee, the body absorbs a large amount of caffeine quickly, and therefore
processes it quickly. As previously mentioned, there is much less caffeine in tea, and it is
absorbed into the blood stream slower, which may prevent the caffeine crash. Caffeine does have
one saving grace, and that is its ability to relax the airways in the lungs, which can be a great
benefit for those suffering from asthma.
In short, yes, tea is healthier than coffee. This is of course not to say that coffee is bad. The
benefits of drinking tea, however, may outweigh the possible benefits of drinking coffee, unless
the goal is to receive a large dose of caffeine.

Can Green Tea Boost Serotonin?

Green tea comes from the same plant as Oolong and black tea. The difference is that green tea is
not fermented, meaning that it contains less caffeine and has more of a type of antioxidant called

polyphenols than Oolong, which is partially fermented, or black tea, which is fully fermented.
Green tea may have a number of health benefits, including lowering your risk for heart disease or
cancer and may also affect serotonin levels.

Serotonin
Serotonin is a hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain and can affect your mood,
appetite, sleep, blood vessel constriction and ability to learn. It also has other functions in the
body, such as helping to move food through the digestive system, wound healing and assisting in
central nervous system functioning.

L-theanine
Green tea consumption may help to increase the levels of serotonin in your brain, according to an
article published in 2009 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." The active ingredient
most likely responsible for this effect is L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that can
cross the blood-brain barrier and may be able to get the brain to produce more serotonin.
Serotonin itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and must be produced in the brain if it is to
be used in the brain.

Benefits
Medications that affect serotonin levels are often used to treat depression, as increased serotonin
can minimize symptoms of depression. The "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" study
found that elderly individuals who drank the most green tea had fewer symptoms of depression
than those who drank the least green tea, even after adjusting for many other factors which could
affect depression.

Considerations
Check with your doctor before drinking large amounts of green tea. Research on the effect of
green tea on serotonin is still preliminary and drinking this tea is not safe for everyone. If you are
pregnant or suffer from kidney, heart or liver problems, high blood pressure, anxiety or stomach
ulcers you should not drink green tea. Green tea can also interfere with the function of certain
medications, including some antibiotics, lithium, MAOIs, chemotherapy medications, blood
thinners, beta-lactam and adenosine. Doctors recommend drinking the decaffeinated version, as
caffeine can also adversely affect certain medications.

Teas Janus Effect Upon the Brain

How can tea wake us up and calm us down?
Published on March 12, 2011 by Professor Gary L. Wenk, Ph. D. in Your Brain on Food
Without doubt, drinking tea is good for our general health. Much has already been written about
the benefits of its principle psychoactive stimulant, caffeine, on mental function, alertness and
attention. There are many popular beverages containing extracts from tea leaves that are
marketed with claims that these drinks will help you to focus or concentrate better.
Paradoxically, other beverages containing identical tea extracts claim that they have relaxing and
tranquillizing properties. This seems contradictory. How is it possible that drinking tea can
stimulate the mind, improve focus and provide mental energy and simultaneously induce
relaxation and calm?
The answer is due to the presence of the chemical theanine that is found in tea. The combined
actions of theanine and caffeine are responsible for the complex and pleasant effects of tea upon
the brain. Caffeine, as all coffee drinkers are well aware, is a mental stimulant. Theanine is the
anti-stimulant. Theanine looks very much like a brain chemical called glutamate. Glutamate
produces excitation and is responsible for allowing us to form new memories; glutamate is also
responsible for the death of neurons associated with many diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer's
disease and ALS. However, theanine performs a chemical trick that glutamate cannot achieve;
theanine can cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore has access to the brain from our
intestines after we enjoy a nice cup of tea. Once theanine has entered the brain it then displays
yet another peculiar property. Although theanine looks like glutamate it is not able to mimic the
actions of glutamate at all. Instead, it is consumed by cells called astrocytes and converted into a
chemical called GABA. What is GABA?
GABA provides inhibition in the brain - it turns us off. When we release too much GABA in our
brain we become drowsy. This probably explains why recent studies have shown that tea
drinking slows down the speed of our brain waves. When we have a lot of GABA floating
around in our brain we fall asleep. So what happens if you consume too many beverages
containing theanine? When people were given high doses of theanine they had difficulty
performing complex motor tasks such as driving or speaking. In addition, high doses of theanine
actually enhanced the sedating actions of alcohol. This last finding may actually help to explain
how theanine in our cup of tea is able to relax us.
Alcohol enhances the action of GABA in our brain while theanine is converted into GABA
within our brain after we drink tea. This is why consuming high doses of theanine can enhance
the effects of alcohol - they synergize with each other! Thus, tea can both energize our minds via
its caffeine and relax our minds via the actions of theanine. Tea, like so many other plants we
consume (see my blogs on marijuana for comparison), contains a complex mixture of chemicals
that are potentially psychoactive, or, as is the case with theanine (and marijuana), are converted

in our bodies into a psychoactive substance. Tea is not unique in having chemicals that produce
both activation and inhibition in the brain; this property is actually quite common in nature, for
example the hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria contains both ibotenic acid (a
stimulant) and muscimol (a depressant).
Should you be concerned? Not at all. The concentration of theanine in tea is quite safe even if
you plan on having multiple cups throughout the day. Even extremely high doses of theanine do
not appear to be harmful - at least to laboratory rats.

Why Tea is Better than Coffee

Tea brings down social and cultural barriers better than coffee
- Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world (water is first)
- Many cultures have tea ceremonies (ex. Japan, China, Britain)
- 2008 Study- tea helps create a warmer and friendlier atmosphere after
a very stressful tasks

Tea helps you work better without worrying about health risks
- Coffee has more caffeine compared to tea. Thus, theres more kick in coffee. And
yet its this kick that causes many health problems associated with coffee (rise in
blood pressure, heart attack)
- Tea only has 25%-50% caffeine. Plus it has a chemical called theanine.
- Theanine= responsible for the relaxing effect we get from drinking tea
= similar to another brain chemical called glutamate
- Glutamate= responsible for making new memories into our brain; kills off the
neurons responsible for Alzheimers disease
- Caffeine (mental stimulant) + Theanine (relaxation and increased brain activity)=
good work
- Studies show that caffeine and theanine helps subject better in demanding
cognitive performances (Giesbrecht T, Rycroft JA, Rowson MJ, De Bruin EA. "The

combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and

increases subjective alertness." Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Dec;13(6):283-90.)->
improvement in accuracy, alertness, and focus
Theanine may help reduce the negative effects of stress, according to a small study
published in Biological Psychology in 2007. In an experiment involving 12 people,
researchers found theanine-treated participants were less likely to experience an
increase in heart rate when performing a stressful task. (Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja
LR, Ohira H. "L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses."
Biol Psychol. 2007 Jan;74(1):39-45.)
Tea saves more money
Among 7 beverage shops (coffee and tea)
- Cheapest coffee: P85
- Cheapest tea: P45
- Difference of P40
- P40 a day, P280 a week, P1,120 a month, P13,440 a year, P 2.5 million
in 20 years, P16 million in 30 years*
* Assuming 20% average annual returns
P2.5 million P16 million = your retirement fund, your vacation fund,
money to buy your dream car, etc.
Starbucks, Figaro, Gloria Jeans, Serenitea, Gong Cha, CBTL, Bos Coffee

Drop the Coffee Cup: Why Tea is

Better than Coffee
For thousands of years, humankind has grappled with numerous questions. What is the meaning of life?
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Tonight, well tackle one of the most fascinating questions around: coffee or tea?
Even now, there has been a cold war between these two hot beverages. Indeed, everybody has their own
preferences. Nevertheless, the question of which is better still lingers among us. For most Pinoys, coffee
seems to be the winner due to its wide popularity. On the contrary tea is better in three aspects!
The first is social. Tea breaks more social barriers compared to coffee. Second to water, tea is the most
widely consumed beverage in the world. Every day over 3.5 billion cups of tea are consumed worldwide,
almost double to that of coffee!
Many people think that inviting someone for coffee is a good social activity. Think again. Drinking coffee
causes tooth decay and breath. Such things, if left unnoticed, can ruin a good conversation! Drinking tea
provides the opposite. Tea has fluoride which cleans and protects your teeth! Tea also has phenols,
chemical compounds that inhibit the growth of bad breath-causing bacteria! Want to get to know someone
better? Invite them for tea instead!
Next, well deal with the career aspect. Im sure you want to succeed in your careers. (promotion, salary,
boss) Tea guarantees sure success! You work better without worrying about health risks. Coffee has
caffeine, the miracle chemical that keeps you awake. Coffee has around 120 mg of caffeine, thus giving
you an extra jolt of energy. Sadly, you deplete energy faster. Too much caffeine also makes you prone to
blood pressure and heart risks!
Tea only has 10 mg to 40 mg of caffeine. It still keeps you awake but its less risky. Tea also has theanine,
a chemical that helps you relax. Theanine also enhances memory, learning and focus. Caffeine and
theanine are the ingredients for success! In 2007, Dr. Kimura and colleagues discovered that tea drinkers
had less heart risks while doing a stressful task. A few years later, Dr. Giesbrecht and colleagues found
out that tea drinkers performed better in a thinking-demanding task! Want the drink for success? Choose
tea.
Finally, well look at the financial aspect. Tea is cheaper than coffee. Youll save more money when you
drink tea. I did a personal study on 9 beverage establishments. I researched on the cheapest coffee and
tea around. The cheapest coffee costs P60, while the cheapest tea is only P45! Theres a difference of
P15.
Now whats the deal with P15? Look here. Saving P15 a day (thats P7,200 a year) can give you P1 M to
P8.5 M 20 to 30 years from now, provided your money somewhere giving you 20% average annual
returns. Imagine what you can do with that money. Thats your retirement fund. Thats your vacation fund.
Thats the money you need to buy your dream car. The possibilities are endless if you choose tea
overcoffee!
Social, career, and financial- these are the three aspects where tea reigns supreme over coffee.
Theres no better time to change your lifestyle than now. Time to drop the coffee cup and pick up a nice
cup of tea.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/14/Is-Drinking-Tea-orCoffee-the-Smarter-Choice.aspx#_edn1
http://experimentcentral.org/coffee-or-tea-which-is-the-better-cup/