Coffee vs. tea: Benefits and risks

         While tea lovers revel in tea’s likely health benefits, coffee drinkers worry that anything as deliciously stimulating as java must be unhealthful. But research shows that coffee is generally safe in moderate amounts and might have surprising benefits of its own: Large observational studies have linked regular coffee consumption with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, gallstones, and possibly Parkinson’s disease. Still, both green and black tea trump coffee for protection against cancer, heart disease, and possibly osteoporosis.

HOW THEY PROTECT YOU

Coffee. Caffeinated and decaf coffee each contain antioxidants and other substances that may help regulate blood sugar; that might explain the apparently reduced diabetes risk. Certain compounds in coffee also appear to help prevent bile from crystallizing into gallstones. And caffeine may cut the risk of Parkinson’s by boosting supplies of the brain chemical dopamine, at least in men.

Tea. Habitual tea drinkers’ reduced cancer risk might stem from tea’s high antioxidant capacity. Tea might protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots, and reducing cholesterol levels. And researchers speculate that the fluoride and estrogen-like substances in tea may bolster bone density.
　

Tea & health

Green tea may keep brain healthy