Jun 24, 2002 04:13 PM
18552 Views
(Updated Jun 24, 2002 04:19 PM)
Right from my childhood days, I have never been addicted to these brownies(brown beverages) called'coffee' and'tea'. There is a very funny reason as to why I did taste them at all. It all started in the college and ended up there itself. I assure you I have tasted more of it in those 4 years than any other student in my college. During the yearly University exams, students in the hostel were given tea/coffee at night. I never drank it. At the end of the month, I saw that an additional amount had been added to my mess bill for the tea/coffee. I went to the mess officer to complain.
His question gravelled me'As if you didn't drink any at all?'
'No! I didn't! I swear I didn't' I explained.
'So what do you drink - Milk?' came his lull reply.
'Yes! I would if you provide it'.
The argument carried on but nevertheless I could not disrupt the proceedings of the mess administration.
The next night I was the first one in the queue for tea/coffee and drank one after another. And another and another . and another till I burped, Excuse me please!. I had to compensate for the money lost.
By the time I was out of the college, I was already drinking tea and coffee like a regular person but was not addicted. I could do without it anytime. Soft drinks and Hard drinks were preferable anyday.
The History
Tea was discovered in 28th century B.C by a Chinese Emperor. It so happened that some tea leaves fell in the hot water being prepared by the Emperor's servant. As a result the water turned brown and smelled great. The scientist in the Emperor made him experiment with the brown liquid. He found the tea more refreshing than ordinary water. This accident caused the sensational discovery of tea.
Coffee has a history that is still a mystery. Some say it originated in Yemen by a goat herder, whose goats became erratic after eating some berries from a bush. The shepherd then himself tried and voila Coffee was discovered in the 9th century. There is no concrete evidence though. The fact is that it originated in Ethiopia(Kaffa) and was later traded in Arabic and other North East African countries. Some say the shepherd was from Ethiopia.
The Chemistry
A bitter alkaloid found in coffee and tea that is responsible for their stimulating effects is called caffeine and is responsible for most of the disadvantages associated with both but also some advantages. Tea and Coffee both contain caffeine. The quantity of caffeine is more in coffee than tea. A cup of coffee has about two and half times the caffeine in a cup of tea.
Its very surprising that most people are addicted to just one of these beverages. Most either drink only coffee or only tea. Statistics reveal that more people prefer tea(now there are various categories of tea) which has lower caffeine. In case the addiction was due to the caffeine factor then all the tea lover would have switched to coffee.
It's more about the taste. The taste of tea is more refreshing than coffee. But then everyone to his own taste. Coffee has a slightly bitter taste. Tea is also better than coffee from nutritional point of view because it contains tannin - a very important component of tea.
The Medical Mystery
For your heart: Research has proved that Tea is good for you heart since it decreases the serum cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid. Tea also has antioxidants which will prevent the healthy cholesterol from turning unhealthy and thus fatal to the heart.Coffee, on the other hand, has a fat-like chemical, called cafestol, which increases the cholesterol level. For those of you who drink decaffeinated coffee, the cafestol is not reduced by decaffeination. Decaffeinated Coffee= coffee with caffeine removed(actually reduced to a large extent). However, recent studies also chow that coffee is good for preventing heart attacks. The caffeine in the coffee neutralizes endogenous enzymes which cause vascular congestion leading to heart attack.
Cancer:Tea has an important component called EGCg and the theaflavins which suppresses the enzymes required for the growth of cancer cells. Remember, it only slows the process. The anti-oxidants in tea help the growth of cancer as well. Research are still being carried out on whether the high content of caffeine in coffee is a risk factor or not.
Asthma:Theophyline is used for treating asthma. Caffeine has very similar properties to Theophyline and helps in the stimulating the muscles by acting on the bronchial tubes. Coffee also dilates the blood vessels and is thus used in the medication of migraine. Tea having lesser caffeine does not help much.
Pregnancy:Those who drink more coffee during pregnancy are likely to find their babies to be nervous and restless. Caffeine causes anxiety. Infact even tea should be avoided. A maximum of 3 cup of tea or 1 cup of coffee is ok.
After dinner:Tea has tannic acid which has bactericide effect. It inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes cavities. Tea also helps in digestion. It drives away the fatigue by flushing the system. Now, if you drink coffee after dinner, you will take more time to go to bed. Since coffee has higher caffeine content, it is a stronger stimulant and increases the blood flow. Like coffee, it is good for digestion too.Coffee is also diuretic. It is good for people wanting to work late after dinner(students) to have coffee instead of tea.
Good point about both is that they help reduce the weight(Satish, Spookay pay attention .;-)
Tea's Superiority
Apart from their anti-bacterial, anti- viral, anti-mutagenic, anti-oxidizing and anti- carcinogenic properties, tea can also be utilized in many other ways:
1. If rubbed on to the affected area, the tea significantly reduced the growth of pre-cancerous cells.
Use cold tea in a wet cloth to clean mirrors and wash stains(from hardness of water) on glassware.
Tea leaves used in cooking gives a pleasant flavour and removes pungent odour of egg or fish. Use a mechanism to remove the tea leaves when cooking is finished.
Mix tea water with your face pack and see the difference on your facial skin. Also use cold tea bags to cover your eyes instead of the normal cucumber. The soothing effect is better. It is also good for washing your hair.
Tea is also a good fertilizer.
Finally.
I know even after knowing all the medical facts some will continue with their favourite beverage. Well, I recommend tea(unless coffee is medically more suitable for you). In fact green tea(Tea leaves that have been steamed and dried without fermenting) or herbal tea(Tea-like drink made of leaves of various herbs and does not contain caffeine) are the best. Decaffeinated coffee is also good.
Don't worry about all the medical tips and my recommendations. If you drink less than 3 cups of coffee or less than 5 cups of tea in a day, you do not need to worry. You only start getting affected if the intake is very large. I try to avoid tea and coffee and . so should you? No! I don't expect that. I drink alcoholic stuff and am still alive. Bet coffee & tea can't do more harm. So every one to his/her own drink. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Niraj
