Coffee and green tea have been staples in people’s lives for ages. The two beverages are both widely consumed all around the world and are both significant in their own ways. Green tea has always been important in people’s lives, especially in countries such as the UK and Asia. Coffee has always been important in the United States as a main staple for Americans. The two caffeinated beverages share similarities and differences and have different purposes and meanings.
In an article titled “Tea” Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior, edited by Pamela Korsmeyer and Henry R. Kranzler, the consumption of tea in the United Kingdom is significantly higher, balancing 320 milligrams per capita per day. (Griffiths, 85). In many countries, green tea is not only used for drinking purposes, it is also used for rituals, religious events, and meditation. This mainly is practiced in Asian countries. For example, tea was first introduced to Japan in 600 BC, but did not become used until the 1400s. People, especially in China, used it as a natural home remedy. In another article titled “Green Tea” by The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, people would drink it to cure dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, reducing cholesterol, and many more to fight harmful diseases. Green tea mostly comes from India or Sri Lanka, so it is less fermented which means it is very fresh and pure. That is why many people turn to it as a natural remedy to cure sicknesses and diseases. Green tea also aids in weight loss. Studies have shown that green tea fights against cardio vascular disease, but most reports are poorly done for the cause and effect of green tea. (Rouner, 3). The biggest tea suppliers are UK, Pakistan, and the United States. (Griffiths, 85). People did not start drinking green tea until they found out what the health benefits were. Many people found that drinking green tea helped to clear their skin, clear out metabolic waste, and speed up their metabolism.
Although green tea has its health benefits, it can still have a negative impact on people in a way. For example, since it contains caffeine, pregnant women and children should stay away from it, and drink decaffienated green tea instead. Also, people with heart disease and who are breastfeeding should avoid caffeine. Sometimes it can affect people’s moods if they do not drink it. It is the same concept with coffee. Some people do not feel the same without their daily cup of coffee or tea. Drinking hot beverages often brings comfort to people’s lives, helping them to get through the day. The act of drinking green tea is more about the health benefits. It is effective in fighting prostate cancer, causes less muscle damage and soreness after heavy lifting, and can help reduce the factors contributing to metabolic syndrome. People do not necessarily enjoy the taste, but they will drink it to lose weight, speed up their metabolism, and to cure their sickness. Green tea contains the highest levels of polyphonies, the antioxidant substance that is believed to be beneficial in protecting against both cancer and atherosclerosis. After a five year follow up, researchers found that drinking more green tea and coffee were less likely to get type 2 diabetes. Of course, that is without all the excess cream and sugar that will lead to diabetes.
Coffee has also been around for ages. It is typical for the average American to drink about two to three cups of coffee a day. The most common time of the day for Americans to drink coffee is in the morning. Drinking black coffee has its benefits, however it is best to drink it in the morning. It does boost the metabolism, even though it has caffeine its not the best thing to drink, but it does stimulate the body, making it more alert throughout the day. The United States is the largest coffee consumer as a country, making 25 million bags as of 2015-2016. The category of “personal preferences” includes the motives of “health belief,” “habit,” “tradition,” and “culture.” A lot of people drink coffee because it is a tradition in their country. For example, Turkish coffee originated from Turkey. Many people from the middle east drink Turkish coffee and read fortunes from the cup itself. The fortune is not always true, but people in the middle east like to do it for fun. It has a very strong taste as well, which is why so many people enjoy it. It is part of the tradition to drink it from a small, tea-like cup because it is very strong tasting, and the small cup helps to read the fortune a lot clearer.
Drinking a cup of coffee can have some physical and emotional effects. It is often viewed as a personal moment of pleasure and a source of comfort, which allows consumers to stay calm, and face daily challenges. It simply provides that physical, mental stimulation no matter what time of the day it is consumed. When people drink anything hot in general, they feel a form of comfort. Even when the hot cup is being held, comfort starts to begin, and that is why so many people enjoy their hot drinks. In Asia specifically, they drink hot green tea with almost every meal. It is kind of like a ritual to drink something hot while eating because it digests food faster and in an effective manner. The act of drinking coffee is about pleasure, experience, lifestyle, and social status. People often go to fancy, upscale coffee shops just for the experience and pleasure of it. It has been this way for some time now, ever since Starbucks became popular worldwide. It also became a trend for people to just go to a coffee shop nearby and be social with others. Coffee can have certain effects such as arousal from the temperature of it, reducing fatigue, staying awake, improving work performance, and feelings of a focused mental state. People often feel that they are in a focused mental state when they drink coffee first thing in the morning. However, when people do not get their daily caffeine intake, it can have some negative effects. Headaches can be a factor as well as being sleepy all throughout the day. The body becomes so used to caffeine that when it does not have it, it “cannot function.” People will often have something called hypertension, where the body will shake if it does not have caffeine, or when it has too much of it.
It is kind of the same idea with green tea, but it is more common to drink coffee every morning than green tea. People will go out more for coffee than for tea. Going out for coffee has become normal and a more social thing for people. Coffee has evolved over the years. For example, back then most people would drink their coffee black with little to no sugar. Nowadays it is all about cappuccinos, lattes, designs, and who can make the fanciest smelling and tasting coffee. This has turned into a form of socializing because people like to go out and get these drinks, while taking pictures and posting it on their social media. Coffee machines have also evolved over the past decade. The new keurigs now contain an espresso machine and a part where it can make the hot white foam on top of coffee, like how fancy coffee shops do it. Not so much has evolved with tea, besides there being thousands of different types. Bubble tea in particular has become very popular, but people still choose hot or iced coffee over tea. It seems to be that people only drink tea when they are feeling sick, or if they are trying to lose weight.
Often times hot drinks can work to de stress people. That is because the heat brings comfort and joy to people, while warming up the entire body. Whether it is green tea or coffee, companies and businesses will still be making thousands of dollars. Although they are both caffeinated beverages, they are both significant in their own ways especially from years ago. They were important hundreds of years ago and will still continue to be important for as many years as possible. Countries will continue to export tons of coffee and tea all throughout the world. Green tea serves many purposes in Asia. Their green tea seems to have a stronger taste than green tea in the US. The stronger the taste is, the less processed it is, which means the less caffeine it has.
Overall, coffee and tea are different and similar in many ways. They are different in taste, smell, and the type of effects it has on people. They are similar in tradition, habit, and culture. There are remedies in every country that deal with coffee and green tea. Green tea helps with illnesses and to fight diseases, while coffee works as a stimulant and speeds up metabolism. So for ages now, coffee and tea have developed over time, becoming an everyday thing for people to drink. As mentioned in the article, these beverages have been used in rituals for a long time and will continue to do so. Without coffee or green tea, people’s moods and attitudes will change drastically. That just goes to show how much people love their hot, comforting drinks.
Coffee and green tea have been around for ages and will still be a staple in people’s lives for as long as possible. Companies and coffee corporations will continue to make thousands of dollars because of the high demand of coffee. Although they both have caffeine, they still provide great benefits. From bringing comfort to providing health benefits, both of these drinks will never stop being consumed. The good traits about them overpower the bad traits, leaving them to be good things to drink. Every morning, thousands of people in the world either drink a cup of coffee or a cup of tea to start the day. The boost that these beverages give will forever be around no matter what. In England, especially, tea and crumpets are a very popular food item for breakfast. The UK in general consumes a lot of tea per year, with people in other countries consuming even more than that. These two beverages are widely consumed daily, maybe even more than once a day so there is no doubt that they will die down. Besides coffee shops, tea shops are also becoming trendy. Bubble tea, herbal tea, and all other kinds are being discovered and new. People seem to enjoy going to coffee and tea shops for the social and cultural lifestyle that they want. All in all, green tea and coffee have been significant for ages and will still always be.
Works Cited
“Coffee Consumption and Purchasing Behavior Review: Insights for Further Research.”
Appetite, Academic Press, 3 July 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666318305142.