Which is Healthier: Coffee or Green Tea?

Green tea is often lauded as a miracle food that can cure almost anything from cancer to bad breath, yet many people still avoid this ancient health food because they enjoy the tastes of black tea and coffee.

Even though coffee received significant bad publicity in the past, if you prefer this aromatic drink over green tea, then you may receive some surprising benefits hiding in your cup of morning Joe. Here are some ways both green tea and coffee benefit your health. Read on and then decide which one has the greater benefits for your life.

1. Protection from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Three to five cups of coffee each day have been shown to protect mental acuity in 65 percent of patients. If you prefer green tea, then you're also in luck. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies show increased brain activity in patients who had just consumed green tea.
2. Improved intelligence. Green tea improves your intelligence, at least for the moment, because it has caffeine. Caffeine increases neuron firing and causes the drinker to experience an improved mood, improved memory, and superior reaction time. Of course, coffee also has caffeine, but green tea has just enough to stimulate brain function without giving you the jitters.
3. Increased cardiovascular health. A Japanese study proved that those who consumed one or two cups of green tea, oolong tea, or coffee had lower rates of cardiovascular disease than those who didn't consume the caffeinated beverages. This study seems to indicate that any of these caffeinated drinks are good for your heart.
4. Protection from Parkinson's disease. Coffee drinkers contract Parkinson's disease at a rate three to six percent lower than the general population. In fact, those who regularly drink more coffee each day reduce the danger of contracting this disease even more. Studies on green tea conclude that the antioxidants in tea are effective in protecting neurons from Parkinson's disease, especially in patients who are in early stages of the disease.
5. Improved fat burning. Although studies indicate that the efficiency of green tea's fat-burning effects varies among individuals, you will almost always find green tea as an ingredient in any supplement purporting to help you lose weight. But don't forget coffee. Caffeine is one of the very few naturally occurring substances that has been proven to help you burn fat.
6. Defense against Diabetes. The likelihood of contracting Type 2 Diabetes decreases with every cup of coffee people drink. Unless they choose sugary espresso drinks from trendy coffee shops, heavy coffee drinkers are far less likely to contract the disease than occasional drinkers. Green tea also impacts Diabetes. The tea slows down the digestion of starches, which then slows down sugar entering the bloodstream. Green tea also slows down the digestive process, making drinkers feel full longer and possibly preventing them from ingesting more starchy or sugary food.

Both coffee and green tea are beneficial to the body. Since green tea has less caffeine than coffee, it may leave the drinker less nervous. However, since caffeine is a mood booster, coffee's high caffeine content may help its drinkers experience a euphoric effect that eludes tea drinkers. The bottom line is that those who enjoy green tea and/or coffee should keep brewing their favorite and drink to their health.