Tea has a lot of health benefits that coffee doesn’t have.

By Mia Splendore, Staff Writer/Artist

The winters in Indiana are long and cold, so it’s always nice to have something warm to keep us from hypothermia. Hot drinks like tea or coffee are winter staples for a lot of people, but when it comes down to it, one is definitely better than the other. 

Tea, while being warm and sweet, has a lot of health benefits that coffee doesn’t have. A lot of teas, especially green tea, have antioxidants that boost our immune system. They also have compounds called polyphenols that have been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. There is also some research that shows tea can lower our risk of certain types of cancer. 

A lot of teas also have caffeine, which is the main reason why people drink coffee. Teas like chai or black tea could be easy replacements for coffee in the morning. Drinking tea over coffee has also been shown to avoid buildups of calcium in the arteries, which can lead to heart disease. 

Now, I’m not trying to say coffee is bad for you, drinking it in moderation can actually have a lot of benefits too. Coffee can lower your chances of getting gout (if, for some reason, you’re at risk for that), Parkinson’s disease, and Type 2 diabetes. It can also reduce risks of some types of cancer as well, but it can also raise the risk of others like pancreatic or esophageal cancer. 

A lot of people also enjoy the higher amounts of caffeine that coffee has, while others complain about the jittery feeling it gives them. Tea isn’t going to give you as much of a boost as coffee can, so if you’re someone who really struggles in the morning, coffee could still be a frontrunner for you. 

When it comes down to it, drink whatever you want. It’s a free country. Just know that coffee is definitely best in moderation, while tea is just the best.