In the morning, most people enjoy a piping hot cup of coffee. Others may instead decide to opt in for the choice of tea. These two drinks are generally seen as the staple go-to beverages to help individuals prepare for a long day ahead. In fact, there exists several sayings stemming from these beverages, such as the common, “Don’t talk to me unless I had my morning coffee.” Besides the difference in taste, are there any health-related differences between these two widely adored drinks? Some people may picture tea as being better for individuals when compared to coffee, but how true is this?

Both coffee and tea contain caffeine, a substance that has a thermogenic effect on the body and helps us to "wake up." Regardless of the roasting process, coffee will have a greater amount of caffeine than beverages like green tea, and that influences our bodies. The thermogenic action of caffeine causes the body's metabolism to accelerate and thus, acts as a greater fat burning. However, the general recommendation is not to abuse black coffee. The general guideline is to consume from one to three small cups a day, but as usual, this also depends on the individual. 

Tea has generally half the amount of caffeine when compared to coffee, meaning you can even double the amount you drink a day. Since the amount of green tea that can be ingested is a little higher, it ended up becoming a star in the subject of weight loss. In addition, green tea contains different antioxidant components from those of coffee, such as catechin, an ally of weight loss. Because it has a very potent antioxidant effect, tea can modulate the body when it is most inflamed, for example. Antioxidants act in these areas and thus contribute to weight loss. 

Although most often associated with its energy effects, coffee has other important advantages, such as acting as an ally in combating serious diseases. According to research, coffee is associated with a reduction in the incidence of dementia, Alzheimer's and Type 2 diabetes. And for asthma sufferers, coffee can also be quite beneficial as its higher caffeine content helps in relaxing the airway of the lungs. There is also evidence linking the coffee itself to weight loss and control. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2015 that studied the eating habits of more than 93,000 people in order to look for patterns between coffee consumption and weight found that people who drank more coffee were at lower risk for obesity, as well as at lower risk of type 2 diabetes. In 2014, another article in Nutrition & Diabetes was published about a study on laboratory animals and it was found that coffee-eating mice on a high-fat diet gained weight more slowly than mice that didn't drink coffee. 

In short, between tea and coffee, when both of them are taken correctly (without added sugar, creams, milk and so on) both can potentially help one lose weight. Remember that it is not enough to just drink coffee or tea to effectively lose weight. It is also important to maintain a healthy diet and practice physical activities. Not all people can consume high doses of caffeine, so never forget to talk to your doctor about the changes you want to make in your diet. 

References: 

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-coffee-tea-benefits

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160115-tea-vs-coffee-which-drink-is-better-for-you