For years, people have woken up to the fresh brewed aroma of their favorite caffeine fix. With more and more people consuming coffee and tea each year to maintain energy and performance, I wanted to take some time to layout the difference and benefits of tea vs. coffee.
Tea –
Tea originated in China by an Emperor who was boiling water under a tree. It is said that during his boiling session, a leaf fell into the pot and instead of fishing it out, he left it to boil. After tasting the new concoction, the Emperor quickly noticed its flavor and ability to provide energy. It then began to take off with the local scholars and priest in China to provide the on-going energy and alertness needed for scripting and meditation.
Coffee –
Coffee originated much later and it is said that coffee was discovered in the Ethiopian highlands. 
The story goes that a goat herder, Kaldi, noticed his goats behavior changed after eating certain berries from a tree. With their hyperactive demeanor, he quickly realized the benefits of those particular edibles and thus began the coffee craze. Like in China, coffee was distributed to the local priests to help them stay awake and perform prayers during their practice.
Benefits of Tea –
The number one reason most individuals drink tea is for the natural components of caffeine.
Tea provides a wide range of caffeine effects and the type of tea can greatly vary based on the caffeine intake. In addition to the energy boosting effects of tea, this leafy treat is also used to provide additional antioxidants. Tea has been know to fight free radicals in the body, increase endurance for workouts and sharpen the mind for mental activities.
Benefits of Coffee –
Like tea, coffee’s main purpose is to provide mental alertness. With so many blends of coffee, you can also choose which level of caffeine you need based on light, medium or dark roast blends. In addition to providing your brain with energy, coffee has been known to treat certain types of headaches and stiffness. With caffeine being the main ingredients, it can increase blood flow and reduce the pressure of headaches.
Risks of Tea –
One of the biggest risks of drinking tea, especially if you are drinking an antioxidant based drink, is that you can introduce more antioxidant components then your body can handle.
A brewed cup of black tea
In addition, drinking black tea, the most potent of the tea family, can cause you to suffer from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and tremors. While the latter risks are common with caffeine in general, the biggest threat is the antioxidant factor when choosing your morning tea regime.
Risks of Coffee –
Coffee does not contain antioxidants and provides a bit more safety when consuming on a regular basis, however just like tea, the main ingredient is still caffeine. So like tea, coffee can cause one to suffer from nausea, vomiting increased heart rates and more.
Don’t get me wrong, I drink a cup of coffee every morning to help boost my mentality and get the juices flowing, however, I also use to drink 5 to 6 cups of coffee a day to keep my energy levels on par with peers and co-workers. Now days, I limit myself to one cup a day for personal reasons and while I don’t object to the full time tea or coffee drinkers, I thought it was important to outline a few basics about the two so that you can make an educated decision about how much and how often you are partaking in this popular drink.
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