The rivalry between these two libation titans is long-standing. Tea fanatics preach endlessly about the various health benefits of brewed leaves while coffee lovers consistently chronicle their endless appreciation for ground beans.

rivalry  ['raiv?lri]  

n. 敵對,競爭,對抗

libation  [lai'bei??n]  

n. 奠酒(給神獻酒),飲酒

titan  [Ti·tan || 'ta?t?n]

n.  提坦, 巨人, 太陽神

long-standing  ['l??stædi?]  

adj. 長期存在的

chronicle  ['kr?nikl]  

n. 年代記,記錄,編年史

appreciation  [??pri:?i'ei??n]  

n. 賞識,鑒識,感激

fanatic  [fa·nat·ic || f?'næt?k]

n.  狂熱, 盲信, 狂熱者

adj.  狂熱的; 盲信的

preach  [pri:t?]  

v. 傳道,講道,說教

brew  [bru:]  

n. 釀造酒,蘊釀

v. 釀造,蘊釀

fence-sitter  ['fens?sit?(r)]

n. 中立

What’s a fence-sitter to do?

While the taste debate is still heatedly contested, tea has been scientifically proven to be much healthier for the human body than coffee. Next to its caffeine content, coffee doesn’t do much else for its fans. If you’re trying to decide which drink is better for you in the long run, it’s tea by far.

Below are 10 reasons why you’ll be doing your body a favor by incorporating the ancient beverage into your everyday diet.

incorporate  [in'k?:p?reit]  

adj. 合并的,公司組織的,具體化的

v. 合并,組成公司,具體表現(xiàn)

beverage  ['bev?rid?]  

n. 飲料

1. Tea’s rich in antioxidants.

antioxidant  

n.  抗氧化劑; 硬化防止劑

Teas contain high levels of polyphenols多酚, which function as powerful antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are all contributed to by the damage done by free radicals. Antioxidants aid in preventing and repairing such damage.

radical  [rad·i·cal || 'ræd?kl]

n.  根部; 基本原理; 基礎; 激進分子

adj.  根本的, 基本的; 原本的, 與生俱來的; 徹底的; 極端的, 過激的

diabetes  [?dai?'bi:ti:z, -ti:s]  

n. 糖尿病

梗概：茶能預防最基本的疾病。比如，心臟病，糖尿病和癌癥。

2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee.

High amounts of caffeine can raise blood pressure and health professionals generally recommend a maximum daily coffee consumption of four 8-oz cups. Tea, on the other hand, contains much less caffeine than coffee, allowing tea aficionados to enjoy more of the healthful brewed concoction each day.

professionals  [pr?'fe??nl]  

adj. 職業(yè)的；專業(yè)的

n. 專家；內行

consumption  [k?n's?mp??n]  

n. 消費

aficionado  [ɑ:?fi:sj?'nɑ:d?u]  

n. 狂...迷

concoction  [k?n'k?k??n]  

n. 混合,調合,調合物

梗概：高量的咖啡因會增加血壓。專家建議每日喝咖啡不要超過8盎司（227克。也就是500毫升礦泉水瓶一半不到點）。而茶由于含咖啡因比咖啡少，喝多少可以任意。

3. Tea fights cancer.

A number of scientific studies have found that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. Because tea is high in antioxidants, drinking it regularly can help ward off cancer.

ward off  

避開; 擋住

梗概：茶可以降低得癌癥的幾率

4. Tea fights heart disease.

Tea protects the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots, and reducing cholesterol levels. Its high antioxidant levels also help ensure your heart’s health.

梗概：茶可以降低得心臟病的幾率

5. Tea wards off osteoporosis.

Coffee’s high caffeine content can contribute to osteoporosis, but green and black teas can help maintain bone health. Studies have found that people who drink tea five times a week have significantly better bone health than those who rarely drink tea.

osteoporosis  [??sti?up?:'r?usis]  

n. 骨質疏松癥

梗概：咖啡提升了骨質疏松癥的風險。而茶剛好相反。每周喝5次茶的人，比偶爾喝茶的人得骨質疏松癥得幾率低很多。

6. Tea kick starts metabolism.

Coffee is an effective method of suppressing your appetite, but tea will actually give your metabolism the kick it needs to burn calories and fat. For those looking to lose weight, tea is better and more helpful in the long run.

metabolism  [me'tæb?liz?m]  

n. 新陳代謝

suppress  [s?'pres]  

v. 鎮(zhèn)壓,使...止住,禁止

appetite  ['æpitait]  

n. 愛好,嗜好,食欲,胃口,欲望

7. Not addictive

Coffee lovers know this to be true. The high amounts of caffeine in that delicious morning cup make it hard, sometimes impossible, to resist. Tea, however, contains significantly less amounts of caffeine which frees your wallet from the puppet strings of your local cafe! Add the health benefits of drinking tea helping you avoid future medical bills and you’ve got a drink that protects your body as well as your bank account. Betcha didn’t see that one coming.

addictive  [?'diktiv]  

adj. 上癮的

梗概：咖啡容易上癮。

8. Tea reduces high blood pressure.

Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure, which is bad news for those who have already been diagnosed with hypertension. Because tea helps relax blood vessels, it can actually reduce your blood pressure. That’s good news, no?

hypertension  [?haip?'ten??n]  

n. 高血壓,過度緊張

梗概：喝茶降低高血壓。

9. Tea prevents tooth decay.

Coffee can contribute to brittle teeth, whereas tea helps inhibit the bacteria that lead to cavities. Fewer cavities mean a more brilliant smile to catch that neighborhood cutie’s eye. Who knew drinking tea could improve your love life?

brittle  ['britl]  

adj. 易碎的

inhibit  [in'hibit]  

v. 禁止,抑制

[計算機] 禁止

bacteria  [bæk'ti?ri?]  

n. 細菌

cavity  ['kæviti]  

n. 洞,空穴,腔

decay  [di'kei]  

n. 衰退,腐敗

v. 衰退,腐敗

梗概：咖啡讓牙齒易脆弱。然而茶可以防止蛀牙，清楚口腔細菌。

10. Tea treats inflammation.

Studies have found the catechins in tea help reduce bladder and skin inflammations. This is good news for your body, inside and out!

inflammation  [in·flam·ma·tion || ‚?nfl?'me??n]

n.  怒火; 燃燒; 發(fā)火

catechin  ['kætit?in, -kin]  

n. [化]兒茶酚,兒茶酸,鄰苯二酚,焦兒茶酚, 焦兒茶酸

bladder  ['blæd?]  

n. 膀胱

梗概：喝茶去火。

Though tea surpasses coffee in terms of health benefits by leaps and bounds, coffee does present its own merits for the human body. For example, caffeine can help alleviate asthma and enhance the pain-relieving effects of aspirin。Unfortunately in the long run, the benefits of coffee still pale in comparison to those of tea. So, whether you enjoy green, black, oolong, or Earl Grey, you are doing your body a wonderful favor by brewing that next healthful pot of tea.

surpass  [s?:'pɑ:s]  

v. 超越,凌駕,勝過

alleviate  [?'li:vieit]  

v. 減輕,使...緩和

asthma  ['æsm?]  

n. 哮喘

enhance  [in'hɑ:ns]  

v. 提高,加強,增加

梗概：咖啡可以減輕哮喘和疼痛。喜歡喝哪種還需要根據(jù)身體的情況選擇。