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You Need a Jolt
It only takes about 10 minutes for your body to feel caffeine’s effects, says Dr. Laura Klein, Ph.D., associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State University. Caffeine makes your body release hormones that keep you active, boosting your heart rate and blood pressure, she says. But where do coffee and tea differ? One 8 oz. cup of tea averages anywhere from 14 to 61 mg of caffeine, according to the Mayo Clinic. One 8 oz. cup o’ joe? At least 95 mg., according to the Mayo Clinic.
Your choice: Coffee.
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You Want to Stay Healthy
Here’s the rundown on coffee: A 2009 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who drank four cups of coffee daily were 30 percent less at risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-drinkers. It’s also been shown that men who drank at least three cups of coffee daily were 9 percent less likely to have skin cancer than those who drank less than one cup monthly.
But health benefits of tea—especially green tea—are well documented, too. It’s well known that antioxidants in green tea can aid in repairing a weak immune system because it has EGCG, an antioxidant that recharges the white blood cells that prevent viruses from reactivating. Green tea is also loaded with catechins, powerful antioxidants that research has shown could help prevent prostate cancer.
Your choice: Either
