It’s hard to deny that drinking loose leaf green tea is a much more enjoyable experience than drinking coffee. For one, there is much more of a ceremony involved in drinking green tea – everything from carefully measuring out the fragrant tea leaves to gently steeping those leaves with hot water is much more nuanced and much more precise than the process of brewing a hot cup of coffee. Moreover, there are plenty of health benefits to drinking green tea, as compared to drinking the same amount of coffee. Here are 5 of the biggest benefits.

#1: More antioxidants

While coffee does contain some natural antioxidants, the scientific research shows that a cup of loose leaf green tea is almost brimming with these antioxidants in comparison. And these antioxidants serve a number of roles in keeping you healthy – they help to ward off inflammation and the onset of chronic illness. They also prevent blood vessels from hardening, and are thought to reduce the risk of heart or cardiovascular disease.

#2: Enhanced alertness and focus

There is a special amino acid known as L-Theanine that makes loose leaf green tea so powerful. This L-Theanine leads to enhanced focus, alertness and productivity over a much longer period of time than with a cup of coffee. Just a single cup of loose leaf green tea may be enough to keep you mentally alert through an entire morning. Compare that to your friends and family who are drinking several cups of coffee throughout the day or ordering things like double espresso shots to keep their eyelids from drooping!

#3: No energy crash

And L-Theanine serves another important role – it prevents the famous “caffeine crash” that results from drinking too much coffee. You won’t feel dizzy or get a headache later in the day. In short, you get the energy high from the caffeine present within loose leaf green tea, but without the energy crash that comes later.

#4: Less caffeine

And speaking of caffeine, a standard 8 ounce cup of loose leaf green tea has about one-third the amount of caffeine of a cup of coffee. Depending on what type of loose leaf green tea you are drinking, the difference can be profound – it is the difference between consuming 30 mg and 100 mg! So if you are tired of getting the “caffeine jitters,” you might want to consider the move to loose leaf green tea.

#5: Improved sleep

Ever wonder why so many people drink decaffeinated coffee? It’s because they know that having too much caffeine can keep them from getting a good night’s sleep. It can be relaxing and restorative to have a cup of warm tea before going to bed, and you won’t have to worry about the caffeine interfering with your circadian rhythms. You’ll sleep more soundly at night.

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So if you are still on the fence about whether it is better to drink loose leaf green tea or coffee, it should now be quite clear that green tea is not just better tasting – it’s also better for your mind and body.