The discussion for today’s show was the age-old debate. Which is healthier, Coffee or tea? The expert guest on the show today is Ms. Muthulakshmi, a noted Nutritionist and Kinanthropometrist. Kinanthropometry is not just a hard to pronounce word; it is the study and analysis of body composition and measurements. Muthu says she herself is a coffee person. She has the habit of starting her day with coffee & a good breakfast. Coffee kick starts your adrenaline, and is the right boost that most people need to start their day.
Legend says that Tea was originally discovered by the emperor of China 2737BC. He was boiling water when tealeaves fell into it. He liked how it tasted, and found it soothing! Soon it spread through the country and Asia as a popular beverage. Coffee, according to legends, was discovered by a goatherd who found his goats to be very hyperactive after consuming some berries. Monks later consumed coffee, as a beverage, as it kept them alert enough to meditate for long periods of time. Both the beverages originated in the east.
The first caller for the day is Venu. He is primarily a tea drinker. He drinks both Green tea and masala chai. He says besides enjoying the taste of it, he also has heard people say that tea is good for health. He had a coffee fixation earlier in life, but stopped because he didn’t want to develop a caffeine addiction.
Muthu chips in, saying that both coffee and tea both have their own benefits. Coffee gives an adrenaline rush and energy, whereas tea is loaded with antioxidants. She says that the healthiness factor depends how you take it. Taking black coffee or a green or black tea is always healthier than adding milk to it. She says that if you are a coffee or tea lover, you may as well try to make it healthy.
Filter coffee has more benefits that instant coffee, and is even healthier without milk. Coffee has two to three times higher caffeine content than tea and is therefore easier to get addicted to! Another good tip is to add cinnamon to green tea as it boosts the fat burning qualities of green tea.
The next caller is Elton. He’s always woken up to a hot cup of coffee or tea in the mornings, and loves both equally. Nowadays he wakes up with hot water with lemon and alternates between coffee, green tea and chamomile tea alternately through the day. He says chamomile tea is especially good to have before bed as it has no caffeine content.
Another caller, Raghuram, chimes in with his two cents. He says he also loves both coffee and tea. He says he starts the day with coffee and follows it up with tea later in the day. He says that the newspaper while sipping on filter coffee is the perfect way to start your morning! He points out that adding sugar is not very good for your health. He also advises listeners to avoid coffee after 3pm as the caffeine takes 7 hours to leave the system.
Muthu gives a tip to tea lovers – She says that if you like green tea, make it with green tea leaves rather than the teabags to get the most benefits from it. She also clarifies that flavoured tea doesn’t affect the nutrient content.
The last caller for the day is Madhu. He used to be a coffee addict and used to take 10 shots of espresso a day! Now he switched to green tea completely at the advice of his Doctor. His addiction ended up affecting his health and his work. Now he’s down to 2 cups of green tea a day and is much healthier. He admits that he gets quite tempted by coffee cravings, but has so far remained strong! His espresso machine has become a mere showpiece at home.
The show concludes with a final thought fro Muthu. She advises listeners to go ahead and enjoy their coffee or tea, but no matter what their preference is, just don’t get addicted to it!

Picture Courtesy : itimes.com