Which is healthier: tea or coffee?

 

Let me categorise the answer in two parts.

Curative and Preventive.

Curative: Tea and Coffee both have antioxidants and caffeine. Tea has more antioxidants and less caffeine. Coffee has more caffeine and less antioxidants. There are traces of other complex polyphenols and fluoride too, but that is almost negligible. Tea also contains a complex form of Tannin which is known to aid in protein metabolism. This is absent in Coffee. In a nutshell, the immediate curative effect of both is the cure for dizziness, fatigue, sleepiness and general lethargy and nothing much more than that. For all of these, Coffee scores over Tea due to its higher caffeine content.

Preventive: Tea scores over coffee right away due to its higher content of Antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to aid in prevention of Cancer, boosting metabolism and generally ridding the body of harmful free radicals.

End Note: Tea and Coffee are both not medicines. The take is yours. At one time consumption of Tea was also touted as a safer way to drink water! My personal take is Tea anytime, albeit, without Milk. One final difference: Coffee is soluble in water and you end up consuming it. Tea is not soluble in water hence you only consume it's decoction.