Which is better for you, black coffee or green tea?

Coffee and green tea might help protect against Parkinson’s disease, a common and debilitating movement disorder. The precise reason for this appears to be related to the antioxidant properties of these two beverages.

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland measured coffee, green tea and other beverage consumption in over 1,000 men born between 1929-1931 (aged 69-70 years) during 1997 – 1999. At the end of follow up during 2008 – 2010 there were 137 new cases of Parkinson’s disease. Men who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had almost half the risk for developing Parkinson’s disease than those who drank less than one cup per month. This was independent of factors such as smoking and age. Similarly, drinking at least three cups per day of green tea lowered risk by 80% compared to drinking less than one cup per week.

The consumption of any kind of tea was associated with a reduced risk for Parkinson’s disease, which was more apparent in men who drank at least four cups per day (a reduction in risk by 87%). However , this effect was only observed when at least 80 % of the tea consumed had been black tea and green tea, but not coffee. The amount of caffeine consumed did not influence these associations . Tea or coffee consumption may be important for the prevention of Parkinson’s disease owing to their content of anti-oxidants such as catechins or caffeine.”