Tea vs coffee: which is better for your health?

Whether you're team tea or team coffee, you're likely getting some health benefits from your cuppa. Coffee's caffeine kick, for instance, can help with energy, while tea may support smoother sleep.

But does one hot drink outshine the other? Here's the science.

Many of us make coffee the minute we wake up, and for good reason. A typical cup of coffee, which contains 40–300mg of caffeine, has been found to improve alertness, external, attention and reaction time, external, and may enhance memory and mental sharpness, external.

In tea, while evidence is limited, caffeine may be moderated by an amino acid called L-theanine, external – meaning you feel awake and focused without the 'agitation' that can come with coffee.

But does this extra alertness come at a price?

After 10–12 hours, a quarter of the caffeine could still be there, according to sleep scientist Matt Walker, external. This means you may have trouble falling or staying asleep.

"Caffeine can decrease the amount of restorative deep sleep you have and as a consequence you can wake up the next morning and not feel refreshed," explains Walker.

A recent study, external recommended stopping drinking coffee at least eight hours before bed to limit the caffeine's impact, but suggested no cut-off was needed for black tea.

Some people reach for a hot drink to relax. A University College London (UCL) study, external found drinking black tea "may speed up recovery from the daily stresses in life," says professor of psychology and epidemiology, Andrew Steptoe, external.

But "we don't know which ingredients of tea were responsible for these effects," he added.

More recently, studies show green tea can help reduce stress, external in some people. This is likely thanks to its amino acids, which have been found to reduce acute stress and anxiety, external. L-theanine is also present, in lower concentrations, in black tea.

There's less research on the effects of coffee on stress, but studies have indicated that consuming high amounts of caffeine (above 400mg) may increase the risk of anxiety, external.

The NHS advises, external that caffeine can disrupt your sleep and make it more difficult to control your anxiety. So, reaching for decaf is best when you're hoping to chill.

Black tea is said to stain teeth more than coffee, external thanks to its theaflavins – but both can stain. To reduce this, dental hygienist Anna Middleton recommends:

It's fine to drink tea and coffee, external as part of a balanced diet, according to the NHS. In fact, both drinks have been linked to a lower risk, external of developing certain health conditions including dementia, external, heart disease, external and type 2 diabetes, external.

Tea and coffee both contain polyphenols, external, which are "plant compounds that are good for our health," says dietitian Sophie Medlin, external.

But drinking lots of coffee (over four cups a day) may increase your blood pressure, external, according to the NHS. In large amounts, caffeine also has a mild diuretic effect.

While black tea is the most popular type of tea in the UK, external, green tea (and matcha) is growing in popularity. Anglia Ruskin University's professor of nutritional physiology, Justin Roberts, external, has looked into both.

"Green tea contains a category of polyphenols called flavonoids and within those, certain chemicals like catechins. It's been proposed that these have some health benefits.

"Black tea has other compounds, like theaflavins, which also have health benefits."

There's one claim that Roberts isn't convinced about, though – that drinking green tea could help you lose weight.

"You'd need to drink a lot of it to get any kind of impact."

If you're pregnant, the NHS advises, external reducing your caffeine intake to no more than 200mg a day. For context, that's roughly one or two cups of coffee, or three or four, external cups of tea – although caffeine content can vary wildly.

When comparing the pros and cons of tea and coffee, it might be as simple as looking at your caffeine tolerance and sleep habits. But tea and coffee are generally fine in moderation for most people.

If you are sensitive to caffeine and tend to feel anxious or sleep badly after drinking coffee, you might want to switch to tea or decaf drinks instead.

If you decide to cut out caffeine altogether, it's best to do it gradually to avoid any withdrawal symptoms.

Originally published April 2021. Updated March 2026.

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