Coffee and green tea are the world’s two most-discussed beverages when it comes to health — both backed by a genuine body of research, and both often pitted against each other as if you have to pick a side.
| Nutrient | Coffee | Green Tea |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1 kcal | 1 kcal |
| Protein | 0.12 g | 0.22 g ✓ |
| Total Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total Sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total Fat | 0.02 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sodium | 2 mg | 1 mg ✓ |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Both are essentially calorie-free, so the real difference isn’t in the nutrition label — it’s in the compounds. Reach for coffee for its higher caffeine content and notable chlorogenic acid, linked to modest metabolic benefits. Reach for green tea for its milder caffeine hit alongside EGCG and other catechins, a polyphenol family studied for cardiovascular and metabolic effects distinct from coffee’s. Neither needs to “win” — most of the research supports moderate intake of either as part of a reasonable diet.
Common questions
Which has more caffeine? Coffee, by a wide margin — typically three to four times more per equivalent serving than green tea, which is why green tea is often recommended as a gentler option later in the day.
Does adding milk or sugar change the health picture? Significantly, yes — the research behind both drinks is largely about the beverage itself, black or unsweetened. Added sugar, syrups and cream change the calorie and health profile considerably.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.