Both the ecological footprint and the water footprint of coffee are many times greater than those of tea. For example, the water footprint of one cup of black, green, or white tea is 30 liters, while that of coffee is 130 liters. Fortunately, there are coffee brands or labels that pay attention to water consumption, such as Fair Trade coffee. But we cannot ignore the fact that coffee generally has a greater impact on people and the environment than tea.
Do you drink coffee because you feel you need it to start your day feeling motivated and full of energy? Then the question is, of course: can you achieve the same effect by drinking tea? And what about the withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking coffee? We investigated.
Energy and concentration
Both black tea and coffee contain caffeine. In tea, caffeine is also called theine, but it is actually the same substance. However, a cup of tea does not contain exactly the same amount of caffeine. A cup of tea contains about one-third to one-half the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee (see the list on this page). By tea, we mean black, green, or white tea. Herbal teas or infusions such as chamomile tea do not contain caffeine.
Caffeine has a positive effect on your ability to concentrate and your energy levels. If you drink one or two cups of coffee, you will indeed experience a stimulating effect on your concentration. If you are tired, coffee helps to counteract that feeling. But be aware that drinking three, four, or five cups of coffee has no additional effect compared to two cups (source: Voedingcentrum). So there is no point in drinking three or more cups in the morning in the hope that this will greatly increase your motivation or focus. After all, you can achieve the same effect with one or two cups.
And with tea?
What about tea? Since tea also contains caffeine, albeit slightly less, you can also drink tea to boost your energy levels. What’s more, tea does not cause the so-called ‘caffeine crash’. This is because the doses of caffeine are smaller. You will therefore notice a slightly smaller effect on your concentration than with coffee, without experiencing an energy dip after a few hours. If you drink two cups of tea instead of one cup of coffee, the dose of caffeine you consume is comparable. In that sense, there is no reason to choose coffee. Especially since tea is the most sustainable and water-conscious choice! After all, the water footprint of two cups of tea is still smaller than that of one cup of coffee…
Is drinking coffee healthy or unhealthy?
A great deal of research has been conducted into the positive and negative effects of coffee on health. For example, it is sometimes claimed that coffee protects against cardiovascular disease (source: Gezond Leven website). On the Health and Science website, which provides a thorough analysis of the existing scientific literature on this subject, we read that it is unclear whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy.
‘A great deal of research has been conducted into the positive and negative effects of coffee on health. For example, it is sometimes claimed that coffee protects against cardiovascular disease (source:
Gezond Leven
website). On the Health and Science website, which provides a thorough analysis of the existing scientific literature on this subject, we read that it is unclear whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy.’
What are the consequences of quitting coffee?
If you stop drinking coffee from one day to the next, you may experience headaches. This is because coffee causes the blood vessels in our brains to constrict. When you stop drinking coffee, your blood vessels dilate, which can cause headaches. Fortunately, these headaches usually only last a few days, depending on how much coffee you drank before. A feeling of fatigue is also typical immediately after you stop drinking coffee. Irritability and depression can also occur after stopping drinking coffee. Fortunately, these symptoms usually disappear after a few days.
What can help combat all these ‘withdrawal symptoms’ is choosing alternative energy boosters, such as exercise, tea, healthy eating, etc. Drinking enough water can also help, as can gradually cutting down rather than going ‘cold turkey’. You can find more tips on the aHealthylife website.
