Black tea or black coffee: A clinical nutritionist talks about the healthier option

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Winters is here and nothing feels as comforting as a hot cup of coffee or chai first thing in the morning. Not only does it keep you warm but it can also give you the much-needed energy boost to start off the day. If you are health conscious, you can choose to skip sugar and milk to your choice of morning beverage.

Skipping milk and sugar will cut down a lot of extra calories that you don’t need. Basically, you’ll be left with black coffee or black tea. But, which one is healthier out of these two?

Also, read: What’s healthier: green tea or black tea? We’ll let a nutrition expert answer that for you

Black coffee has an abundance of antioxidants

“All the fitness enthusiast swear by this. If you go to the gym regularly, it can be really beneficial. Black coffee has high caffeine content which can give you the spike of energy that you need to work out,” says Ms Sandhya Pandey, chief clinical nutritionist at Fortis Hospital, Gurugram.

Black coffee is rich in antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology concluded that people who consumed black coffee had a lower risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

Black tea can help you lose weight

Black tea and coffee are similar, but their caffeine and nutrition content is different. When compared to black coffee, black tea has lesser caffeine content. Black tea is good for your health as it has zero saturated fat, and also boosts immunity. 

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who consumed black tea reported weight loss.

So, which one should you go for? 

It depends on the benefits you’re looking for. If you want that kick to get started in the gym then black coffee is perfect, but if you want to reduce your caffeine consumption, black tea would be better. Sandhya says, “People who suffer from hypertension should avoid black coffee. Actually, everyone should avoid black coffee towards evening as it can disrupt your sleep.”

So, now you know the benefits of both! Take a pick according to your own requirements.