Green Tea vs Coffee (I)

Coffee and green tea are the world’s most frequently consumed beverages and have multiple health benefits:

Great antioxidant sources 

Coffee and green tea are loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols. 

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), are the most abundant polyphenols in green tea and coffee, respectively. They may have potent anticancer effects. 

EGCG in green tea has a beneficial effect against cancer cells in head and neck tumors, as well as in lung, prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer cells. Research has linked green tea compounds with a reduced risk of cancer. Its anti-inflammatory effect may help prevent the chronic inflammation involved in the onset of cancer. 

To get the most health benefits, avoid adding milk to the tea as this might reduce its antioxidant value.

Meanwhile, CGA in coffee appears to inhibit tumor growth and promote cancer cell death, in particular against liver, endometrial and skin cancers. 

Studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer, and had a 15% lower risk of colorectal cancer for those who drank 4–5 cups of coffee per day. Consuming 4 or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day may also lower the risk of skin cancer.

Additionally, CGA may also benefit heart health and blood sugar control by regulating blood triglyceride levels and improving how our cells respond to the hormone insulin.  

Weight loss effects

Coffee’s CGA and green tea’s EGCG, together with caffeine, provide both drinks with weight loss properties. 

CGA lowers insulin, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood. It may also decrease levels of leptin — a hunger-regulating hormone — leading to reduced weight and visceral fat, which linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. 

Similarly, green tea helps reduce body fat, especially in the abdominal area, as EGCG can also lead to weight loss and reduced visceral fat by promoting fat breakdown. 

It also helps promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. This can help burn fat and improve insulin sensitivity.  

In addition, both coffee and green tea contain caffeine. In fact, coffee provides more than three times the amount of caffeine than green tea. Studies found that caffeine is associated with weight loss. It appears to: 

• Reduce hunger.

• Increase calorie burning. Because of its ability to stimulate the central nervous system, caffeine may increase metabolism by up to 11% and fat burning by up to 13%.

• Activate a type of fat called brown adipose tissue (BAT), whose quantities decrease as you age and BAT has the potential to produce large amounts of heat and modulate fat and glucose metabolism.  Several studies show that caffeine can boost your metabolic rate by 3–11%.

Further, caffeine has the following health effects: 

• Increased energy levels, alertness, attention and wakefulness.  
  Caffeine improves physical performance by mobilizing fatty acids from fat tissue and making them available for use as energy. It increases the use of fat as fuel. It may also improve muscle contractions and increase tolerance to fatigue. Finally, it reduces perceived exertion during exercise by up to 5.6%, which can make workouts feel easier.
  
  
• Enhanced exercise performance.  
  As caffeine stimulates the nervous system, signaling the fat cells to break down body fat, making it available as fuel, it can improve physical performance, on average, by 11–12%.

• Lowered mental and physical fatigue.
  Caffeine may suppress feelings of fatigue. However, the energy boost only lasts for a certain amount of time before it starts to wear off.

• Quickened reaction times and improved accuracy.

• Improved memory and mood.
  Evidence also suggests caffeine has protective effects on brain health, reducing the risk of dementia and other degenerative diseases. Caffeine affects the brain by blocking an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine.  
  
  Adenosine is believed to increase in the brain throughout the day, building up a kind of a “sleep pressure.” Caffeine partly reverses this effect. This way, it prevents adenosine from slowing you down. It increases the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. This change in brain messaging is thought to benefit your mood and brain function. It promotes central nervous system stimulation, making you feel alert.