Coffee and Tea: Health Benefits and Health Problems

There is always the choice between coffee and tea. In some countries, such as Italy the choice of offer is not given there is the assumption you want coffee and a range of coffee collations offered from flat white half strength to black and strong. However in most Anglicized countries the choice between coffee and tea is always available and so the individual can get just what they want.

My first experience with coffee was in college days. It was a night session of cramming before a vital exam and the coffee kept coming and we kept working. However by the early hours of the next morning crashing noises startled me and I looked around to locate where the sound was from. To my astonishment it was the sound of the curtains gently moving in the breeze of an open window. Up to this time I had hardly drunk a cup of coffee in my life and I was on a small trip.

My life long love of coffee had begun with a crash but matured into a great friendship. The wake me up first thing in the morning " the heart starter". And during the day it's the energy giver. More than that I have always found it lifts the concentration when you are at a difficult task.

Added to the personal energy gains there have also been so many serious studies on the health benefits of coffee. A study in Finland from 1500 Finns concluded that 4-5 cups a day can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 65%.. And a study with Japanese women over 12 years claimed that the coffee intake halved the risk of colon cancer. Other serious claims from university studies suggest a 60% reduction in the risk of diabetes. Other claims still speak of reduced heart attacks and liver cirrhosis. The list goes on to claim cancer risk reduction and even reduction to risk of Parkinson's disease.

Well such studies that coffee is the miracle drink may be held in doubt however there is enough evidence to demonstrate that coffee drinking has many benefits.

On the debit side there a connection between heavy coffee drinking with anxiety and irritability and insomnia. Other studies have shown a relationship between bad cholesterol and high blood pressure in the 5 cup a day coffee drinker and coffee is also blamed for gastric upsets, ulcers and irritation in the bowel.

So which do you choose between coffee and tea? Is tea a more modified drink with fewer claimed benefits and fewer suspected health problems?

Green tea drinkers claim that it is so full of antioxidants that it reduces plaque in the arteries that can lead to stroke or heart attack and there is good research to support this. There are even further claims that it reduces arthritic swelling and even acne. However its most important claim is it gives a huge boost to the immune system which prevents many diseases. As for the negatives with tea and specifically green tea it has been found like coffee to cause insomnia and increase hypertension and anxiety. It is also linked with the fairly common heart problem called "tachycardia" which is when the heart races uncontrollably and can cause a heart attack if not treated

There is another interesting health problem claim with tea drinking and that is to do with the absorption of iron. Which may be restricted when the tea is connected with other certain foods. However overall the health claims and health problem claims are milder that compared with coffee. So between tea and coffee it's really a question of moderate use of either and the benefits to the moderate user will far outweigh any health issues that both coffee and tea might cause.

For more about coffee drinks http://www.bestcoffeemachinemakers.com/mocha-coffee-drink-recipe/ You can also explore moccha coffee recipes and coffee machines

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