In the United States, a large percentage of people drink both coffee and traditional tea and specialty tea blends. Many view tea primarily as a beverage for when they’re under the weather, while others mistakenly group herbal infusions such as rooibos herbal tea and chamomile herbal infusion together with true tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant.
As someone who is admittedly devoted to tea and generally avoids coffee, I would argue—perhaps with a touch of bias—that tea deserves serious consideration as the beverage of choice, even for that essential morning wake-up cup. Here are a few reasons why.
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Which gives the better uplift? (Photo by A.C. Cargill, all rights reserved)
1. Coffee Is Not Exactly a Beautifier
Ask many dental professionals, and they’ll tell you that coffee can contribute to tooth staining, especially when consumed without milk or cream. To be fair, certain teas—particularly strong black teas—can also stain teeth over time.
However, used tea bags have found a variety of traditional household and personal-care uses that coffee grounds generally have not. For example, many people use cooled tea bags as soothing compresses for tired eyes.
2. You May Spend More Time Seeking Out the Nearest Restroom
Coffee has often been associated with digestive stimulation, which some people appreciate and others do not. Individual responses vary considerably, but some people find that coffee affects their digestive system more noticeably than tea.
Both tea and coffee contain caffeine, and discussions about their diuretic effects have been ongoing for years. Ultimately, how each beverage affects you personally may depend on factors such as caffeine sensitivity, quantity consumed, and individual physiology.
3. The Caffeine Seesaw
One of coffee’s biggest attractions is its caffeine content. A strong morning cup can certainly provide an energetic boost.
For some people, however, that burst of energy may be followed later by a feeling of fatigue, leading them to reach for another cup. Because coffee often contains significantly more caffeine than tea, some drinkers find tea’s effects to be gentler and more gradual.
Espresso-based beverages can contain even higher concentrations of caffeine, while many tea drinkers appreciate the more moderate caffeine levels found in black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and white tea.
4. Your Body Can Get Used to Coffee
Many regular coffee drinkers are familiar with the consequences of skipping their usual morning cup. Headaches, irritability, and a general sense of sluggishness are commonly reported when caffeine consumption suddenly changes.
Of course, this can occur with other caffeinated beverages as well, including tea. The degree varies from person to person, but it’s another reason some people prefer a lower-caffeine beverage as part of their daily routine.
5. Tea Encourages Ritual and Social Connection
For many tea enthusiasts, tea offers something beyond simple refreshment. It creates opportunities for shared experiences and meaningful rituals.
There is Afternoon Tea, High Tea, Elevenses, tea rooms, tea tastings, and even large-scale events such as the Buckingham Palace Garden Parties. Tea often encourages people to slow down, sit together, and enjoy conversation.
Coffee certainly has its own social traditions, from coffeehouses to coffee meetings and café culture. Yet many tea drinkers feel that tea naturally lends itself to longer, more relaxed occasions. A pot of tea can accompany a good book, a knitting project, a movie, or an afternoon spent chatting with friends.
Tea and Tradition
If none of the above is enough to persuade you, consider tea’s remarkable history. Tea has been enjoyed for thousands of years and remains one of the world’s most beloved beverages. From Chinese tea ceremonies to British Afternoon Tea traditions, tea continues to connect cultures, communities, and generations.
Whether your preference is black tea, green tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea, white tea, or herbal infusions, there’s a tea for nearly every taste, season, and occasion.
Enjoy!
See more tea articles and tea culture commentary by A.C. Cargill.
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