02 March 2010

Caffeine

I used to drink coffee every morning, even while in China. When I came home, I made a sudden switch to drinking hot tea.

When I was a coffee-drinker, my tea-drinking fans would try to educate me about the dangers and harms of coffee. These scare-tactics never work, do they? Excess of practically anything can be harmful and deadly. I’m going to die at some point, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be from coffee.

Now that I drink tea, however, the tables have turned.

“Did you know that tea actually has MORE caffeine than coffee?”
“Tea is WORSE for your teeth than coffee is.”
“If you drink too much tea, you could cut 15 years OFF YOUR LIFE.”

Ok, no one claimed that last one, but the looks on their faces did. If there were to be a World War Three, the battle lines might be drawn over preferred beverage. I will continue to drink my antioxidant-filled green tea on a daily basis, and grab a cup of coffee on those extra-slow mornings. Thank you very much.