Coffee or Tea – Part 1 - Health Plus Digest

When you are on a weight loss journey there are several decisions you have to make. One of which is the choice between drinking coffee or tea, or drinking both.

Coffee has several side effects which include tremors, trouble sleeping, dizziness, diarrhea, fast heartbeat and an effect on your blood sugar levels. You can also experience dehydration, stomach bloating and unusual tiredness after the effect of the caffeine has worn off.

Coffee also has a significantly larger amount of caffeine than tea. Coffee has approximately 95mg of caffeine in 8 ounces and tea has 26mg of caffeine in 8 ounces. Coffee has almost 3 times the amount of caffeine that tea has. Caffeine is addictive, a stimulant and it will alter your mood.

Coffee is also associated with periods of time in which you eat meals. This psychological association can increase the amount of food you eat when you drink coffee. All of this equates to a beverage that is not good for your weight loss efforts.

The high amounts of caffeine in coffee will also stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, the stress hormone. With consistent stimulation from coffee, the cortisol hormone will signal the release of sugar into the blood stream, and then the release of insulin so the body can use the sugar. This starts a cyclical process in which you eat carbohydrates to quench the cravings you get from the release of cortisol.

Resources:

International Journal of Obesity: Coffee, Tea, and Diabetes: the role of weight loss and caffeine

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15925959

Mirror: The Great Tea Vs Coffee Debate

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/tea-v-coffee-debate-which-is-healthiest-1271357

Harvard: Coffee and Health

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/

Drugs: Caffeine Side Effects

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/caffeine-side-effects.html

MensHealth: 15 Fired Up Foods that Burn Away Pounds

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/abs_diet_foods/Green_Tea_Coffee.php

Mercola: Is Drinking Tea or Coffee the Smarter Choice