Coffee Leaves Brew Better Tea

Now you will never have to decide between coffee or tea...new research has shown tea brewed from Coffea plants have the highest levels of anti-oxidants of any leaf used to brew tea...higher than green tea and all other teas in fact. Antioxidants combat inflammation and fight free radicals in the body.

Tea brewed from coffee leaves has more health benefits than roasted coffee beans themselves, but less caffeine, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, UK found. Coffee leaf-based tea, which was first marketed in the 19th century, may never have caught on because of it's mild caffeine levels, but it has been popular among East African coffee-growing communities in Ethiopia and Sudan for centuries.

Along with high antioxidant levels, leaves from Arabica coffee plants are rich in mangiferin, another potent antioxidant originally found in mangoes. Tests of 23 species of coffee plant found varying levels of mangiferin, which has been shown to lower the risk of diabetes, blood cholesterol. 

The study, published in the Annals of Botany, also noted that antioxidants have role in protecting neurons and may reduce the risk of Parkinson's and dementia.

Tea brewed from coffee leaves is said to be somewhat bitter but not unpleasant, and could be blended with other tea leaves to provide a tasty, healthful followup to morning coffee. The additional revenue from harvesting coffee leaves along with berries could help fair-trade farmers and encourage sustainable harvest practices.