Which is better - tea or coffee? Doctor and journalist Alexey Vodovozov tells
Miscellaneous / / June 15, 2023
The right choice will help make your body.
Publications regularly appear on the Internet that scientists have again proven the benefits of coffee or tea. Such news always has a lot of readers. This is understandable, because both tea and coffee are loved by millions of people. Anyone who pours himself a cup of aromatic drink is pleased to know that he is not only enjoying the taste, but also doing something good for health.
Physician and science journalist Alexei Vodovozov told, how seriously it is worth taking the latest news about both the benefits of tea or coffee, and the dangers of these drinks. The lecture itself can be found on the YouTube channel "Lecture hall "The Living Word". Tver”, and Lifehacker made an outline of it.
Alexey Vodovozov
Toxicologist, science journalist.
What component makes tea and coffee attractive
Of course, we choose drinks according to taste and aroma. But there is one component that does not have its own taste, but does coffeeand tea are equally welcome. It's caffeine.
In nature, this alkaloid is a poison that helps plants fight pests. If insects begin to gnaw on the leaves of a tea bush or coffee tree, then they will be in danger. And very soon they will simply burst: they will not endure the rise in pressure caused by caffeine. And the leaves will remain intact.
But, as elsewhere in nature, only the dose distinguishes a poison from a beneficial additive. And people love the stimulating effects of caffeinated drinks. Unless, of course, an overdose of this substance is prevented.
However, caffeine is not a stimulant at all. It works like this:
- When we are tired, adenosine accumulates in the body. This substance must connect with special adenosine receptors, and the brain will receive a command: stop being active, it's time to turn on the rest mode. This will make us feel sleepy and want to lie down.
- Caffeine "sits down" on the receptors and does not allow adenosine to join. This happens after we have had a cup of coffee. Both substances are very similar, so caffeine easily binds to receptors that should store adenosine. And that's it, the place is occupied. As a result, a tired body does not receive a signal that it is time to rest, and we do not feel lethargic and drowsy, but continue be active.
- After a certain time, caffeine releases the receptors. The connection turns out to be unstable, because the configuration of the molecules of caffeine and adenosine, although similar, is still different. Therefore, after a few hours, the receptors are free again.
- Adenosine takes its rightful place. During those hours while caffeine worked, the body did not rest. So he continued to produce adenosine. Now all of its accumulated reserves are connected to the released receptors and a feeling of fatigue rolls over us. The transition can be quite abrupt - sometimes you want it immediately lie down and sleep.
I think that some people experienced this effect on themselves when coffee postponed the inevitable for a while, and then the person was knocked out. So if you give an analogy with the pedals of a car, then caffeine is not a gas. This is a brick under the brake. Moreover, the brick is made of snow, and over time it will melt.
Alexey Vodovozov
How does the effect of caffeine from tea and coffee differ?
We do not brew greens that have just been plucked from a bush. In order for tea leaves to end up in our cup, they must first go through a fermentation process. The type of drink depends on its duration: we consistently get white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea and pu-erh.
In the first, the caffeine content will be minimal, but a large amount will remain. polyphenols - It is these substances that determine the taste and aroma of the drink. And the latter contains a minimum of polyphenols, but there is almost as much caffeine in it as in an equal amount of ground coffee.
Therefore, people who prefer stronger hot drinks are more likely to choose pu-erh. And those who avoid strong stimulating effects will brew white or green tea. As a result, pu-erh drinkers will receive a higher dose of caffeine than white tea connoisseurs, and will feel the effects of this alkaloid more strongly.
In addition, tea contains an amino acid that is not found in coffee. It's L-theanine. And most often, the caffeine in tea forms a strong bond with it. And once in our body, it begins to be released from this compound, but slowly. Therefore, after a cup of tea, the caffeine level in blood rises gradually. If you drink coffee, it will jump up quickly.
Such biochemical nuances allow us to say that coffee is a harsher way of consuming caffeine. And the tea is softer.
Alexey Vodovozov
That is, if we need to quickly remove signs of fatigue, we can cook coffee. We want a gradual effect - we are preparing tea.
Is there any scientific evidence for the benefits of tea and coffee?
We see reports of allegedly sensational discoveries on this subject almost every day. Let's figure out what is hidden behind the loud headlines.
The benefits of tea are greatly exaggerated by advertising
There is no doubt that this drink is capable of, if not curing, then preventing the appearance of many diseases. But for some reason, we see few scientifically confirmed facts of the therapeutic or preventive effect of tea. In the media, they are replaced by emotions.
Tea is usually marketed as something incredibly healthy, and this is where the problems begin. Because it’s one thing to say: “Trust me, I’m a nutritionist, I have millions of followers on Instagram*, I can’t be wrong.” And it’s completely different to show decent research on this topic. Indecent - in bulk.
Alexey Vodovozov
But some facts about the benefits of this drink are still considered proven.
For example, scientists have studied the effects of tea on people with cardiovascular disease. In 2001 they analyzed the state of more than half a million people and received a lot of different data. But only one fact was definitely recorded. It turned out that people who regularly drank three cups of tea a day for many years were 10% less likely to have a myocardial infarction than those who did not drink tea at all.
Why there was such an effect - there is no answer, and the question remains open. On the control groups according to all the rules evidence-based medicine such studies have not yet been carried out.
There is also little evidence for the health benefits of coffee.
Messages about the healing properties of this aromatic drink are also enough. But then again, there are few reliable facts in them.
Here is one of the proven statements. Scientists analyzed data from 12 different studies in 2021, in which more than 500 thousand people participated. And they recorded only one indisputable positive effect: people who regularly drink coffee have less mortality in chronic kidney disease.
All other data do not show a clear causal relationship between, for example, love of coffee and the appearance multiple sclerosis. Or any other disease.
We have a group of coffee drinkers, and among them there are few people with multiple sclerosis. We have a group of non-coffee drinkers, and there are a lot of sick people here. Conclusion: drink coffee - will not get sick with multiple sclerosis? No. The first thing that is prohibited in multiple sclerosis is all neurotropic substances: nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. That is, people simply stop drinking coffee when they get sick.
Alexey Vodovozov
What can be said for sure: both tea and coffee bring pleasure and cheer up connoisseurs. And this effect is at least pleasant.
Are there any facts confirming the harm of tea and coffee
Researchers have evidence that coffee or tea can harm the body. But the dosage is important here.
Green tea extract can harm the liver
In this paragraph, we will focus specifically on the extract - that is, a preparation with an increased concentration of all the substances contained in tea. Sometimes it is offered in the form of dietary supplements tablets.
Interestingly, green tea extract has been widely touted as a miracle cure. for weight loss, and all over the world. But it turns out that the concentration in the tablets, which allows you to lose weight, is dangerous for the liver. Doctors have recorded a huge number of medicinal hepatitis, which are caused by these drugs - "natural and useful." Therefore, it is absolutely not worth it to lose weight in this way.
Unfortunately, people try to make themselves as good as possible, but it turns out the opposite. Therefore, if we take scientific data on weight loss, then the only way I know is to go and collect tea leaves. Here I guarantee that the extra kilos will go away. And this is the only option.
Alexey Vodovozov
But do not be afraid of tea: a regular cup of the drink does not threaten the health of the liver.
Coffee can cause high blood pressure and heart palpitations
It is known that caffeine dilates the vessels of the skeletal muscles, kidneys and heart. It's good for the body. But, besides this, caffeine affects the adrenal glands. As a result, they release adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood - hormones that increase blood pressure. pressure.
The indicators are not growing critically - by an average of eight millimeters of mercury. The “white coat effect” known to doctors leads to a more significant jump - up to 30 mm. It is due to the fact that the patient is worried at the doctor's appointment, and therefore his blood pressure can be much higher than at home.
It turns out that, on average, a cup of coffee affects blood pressure less than a visit to the doctor. Therefore, most people have no reason to be afraid of this drink. But in some cases, the body can react much stronger, and the pressure jump will be higher. In addition, a serving of coffee can increase the number of heartbeats. This means that the myocardium will need more oxygen.
The conclusion is simple: you should always monitor your well-being. Especially for people who need to take care of the cardiovascular system. It is important for them not to exceed safe daily dose of caffeine - it is 500 mg. The amount recommended by doctors is even lower - up to 400 mg per day. Of course, this dose should not be consumed at one time.
A standard cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine, while a serving of instant coffee has 82 mg. Perhaps some people should generally limit themselves to one cup of coffee a day.
What to choose - tea or coffee
Which drink to prefer is determined by our taste buds. They are genetically programmed, so there are people who will choose coffee in any situation. And there are those who always make themselves tea.
It is worth choosing a drink, paying attention to its taste and your well-being. Then a tea party or a coffee break will be both pleasant and useful.
Coffee is a wonderful thing. Tea is a wonderful thing. These are wonderful drinks that we can drink regularly. Focusing on our preferences - once, and on the reaction of the body - two. If we can’t stand coffee, then we don’t drink it for health. If we feel bad after tea, we should not try to shove it into ourselves.
Alexey Vodovozov
*Meta Platforms Inc. activities. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.
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