You are looking for a drink to help you stay focused, and you are wondering: is black tea better for you than coffee? Let’s follow this article to find out.
Contents
Introduction
Black tea and coffee are both popular drinks today to boost your energy thanks to their caffeine content. However, each type has its own characteristics, health benefits, and downsides. In this article, FGC will provide useful information about these two beverages and support you to find out which is better for you.
Black tea
Origin
Black tea, also called red tea in some regions, is made from leaves of Camellia sinensis plant. It is called black tea as dried tea leaves after being completely oxidized have a black color. When brewed, black tea has a distinctively reddish hue when brewed. Originating in China in the 17th century, black tea gradually spread around the world. Currently, black tea makes up for the highest rate in the global tea production and export.
Black tea is differentiated from other teas by its fermentation process. Thanks to the fermentation production, black tea may retain and become more flavorful with time, which allows it to be kept for many years without losing taste and aroma. There are many types of black tea, depending on its growing regions, cultivations, production methods, raw leaves classification, and so on.

Nutritional values
Black tea is the most oxidized tea, so it has a unique taste and flavor, making it an ideal option for blending with other ingredients. Black tea is usually known as a high caffeine drink and used for alertness and energy. The caffeine content might vary depending on which types of black tea and how you brew it. Besides, it also contains numerous antioxidants, beneficial to human health. Generally, 1 cup (8 fl oz) of black tea, at about 237g, includes:
- Calories: 2.37 kcal
- Caffeine: 47 mg
- Carbohydrates: 0.711 grams
- Potassium: 87.7 mg
- Magnesium: 7.11 mg
- Sodium: 7.11 mg
Health benefits
Black tea is the most popular kind of tea in the world. Due to the complete oxidation of tea leaves, black tea has some different advantages when compared to other teas. During the oxidation process, theaflavins, a type of polyphenols, are developed, and they only exist in black tea. The benefits of tea mostly come from the distinctive antioxidants, polyphenols. So, how does black tea benefit?
Drinking black tea everyday is beneficial for human’s heart, as theaflavins might reduce blood cholesterol while flavonoids help lower the risk of heart disease. Besides, it may be an effective way to prevent stroke and decrease blood sugar levels, reducing type 2 diabetes’ risk. Because black tea contains caffeine and L-theanine, it can immediately boost our energy and improve alertness and focus. Additionally, the antioxidants in black tea protect us from some kinds of cancers.

Side effects
Although black tea brings a lot of health benefits and is considered quite safe for almost everyone, drinking too much of it might lead to some issues. The side effects of black tea generally come from the caffeine content. While the amount of caffeine in a cup of black tea is not too much, if you consume a large amount, it might result in anxiety, difficulty sleeping, faster breathing, headache, and so on.
Coffee
Origin
The history of coffee dates back to about the 15th century in Ethiopia and Yemen. Later, it was spread to Levant, Italya, India, and gradually to the rest of the world. Coffee has been used daily or to express hospitality to guests. The coffee houses appear everywhere as a place for enjoying, meeting, and hanging out. Coffee beans are the fruit of coffee plants, and it has been processed to develop numerous kinds of coffee today.
Black coffee is the healthiest way to consume coffee. However, as it is quite bitter, people usually add sweeteners, cream, or milk to have a more pleasant taste. There are also many ways to brew coffee, creating the diversity in coffee taste and flavor.

Nutritional values
When mentioning coffee’s nutrition facts, people might immediately think of caffeine content. Drinking coffee is a fast way to raise the caffeine intake and help you fight the drowsiness. According to USDA, some of nutritional values of 1 cup of coffee (8 fl oz) are as follow:
- Energy: 2.37 kcal
- Protein: 0.284g
- Calcium: 4.74 mg
- Sodium: 4.74 mg
- Potassium: 116 mg
Caffeine content varies depending on what type of coffee and how it is brewed. The caffeine in some kinds of coffee are:
- Brewed coffee: 96 mg
- 1 shot of espresso: 64 mg
- Instant coffee: 62 mg
- Standard black tea: 47 mg
Health benefits
Many people today cannot have a productive day without a cup of coffee in the morning. It becomes an indispensable part of their daily lives. The most outstanding benefit of coffee is to boost energy levels, help you stay focused, and work more effectively. Your brain health, in general, might also be enhanced because coffee can help prevent Alzheimer, Parkinson’s diseases, and cognitive decline.
Besides, coffee can do more than this. Keeping a habit of drinking coffee everyday might help you reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and depression. Moreover, as the calories in black coffee is quite low, it is beneficial for those on a diet and hope to lose weight. Some research also points out that coffee can protect your liver against disease.

Side effects
Similar to black tea, you can also experience the same symptoms if you consume too much caffeine a day. Besides, it is easier for people to drink an excessive amount of coffee than tea. It is because it crashes so fast and suddenly that you might want to drink another cup of coffee to fight drowsiness. Therefore, you might find it harder to continue to work without drinking another cup of coffee.
Is black tea better for you than coffee?
So, is black tea better for you than coffee? In general, both black tea and coffee have a rich and intense flavor, which are a little bitter. They also contain a certain amount of caffeine to help you stay awake. To find out which one is better for you, it depends on your purposes when enjoying them. If you want a drink to hit you up immediately with much energy, coffee will be an ideal choice. On the other hand, the effect of tea is milder, thanks to the L-theanine antioxidants. The caffeine in tea works gradually and slowly brings you back to normal conditions.
In addition to caffeine content, both drinks have a lot of health benefits and can be consumed daily at an appropriate amount. Especially for those who want to lose weight, black tea or coffee without sugar is perfect to add to your diet. Remember that you should avoid both before bedtime to not affect your sleep.

About Future Generation Co.,Ltd
Future Generation Company Limited is one of the largest beverage suppliers in Vietnam, with 26 years of experience in production and export. FGC is equipped with modern machines such as Hotfill PET and TetraPak, ensuring high-capacity production. FGC strives to achieve our mission to become Vietnam’s leading healthy beverage company. Our factories also meet international standards such as ISO, HACCP, HALAL, etc. In addition, we constantly innovate our machinery system, strengthen production capacity, and increase productivity.
FGC also provides Private Label Services. With this service, we can help customers in researching and formulating beverages, designing product label packaging, and creating their own brands. This is an ideal solution for small and medium enterprises. Moreover, FGC provides free samples for customers to test before bulk orders. We also ensure delivery as fast as possible.
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