Coffee or tea? You might be asked this question on an airplane, but you could also be asking it to yourself if you're wondering which is the better way to start your day. Dr. Kamelia Kashani, Chief Medical Officer at Lindora Weight Loss + Wellness, says there's no one answer, telling The Takeout, "It comes down to individual preferences and needs." Kashani bases her choice of morning beverage on her desired mental state. She feels that tea brings calm focus, while coffee provides a high-energy boost. As she shares, "In the mornings, I personally choose coffee due to its quick lift." Taste preferences and cultural habits play a role, but on the physical side, there's also digestive comfort and caffeine sensitivity.

Coffee tends to upset your stomach more because, as Kashani explains, the caffeine and chlorogenic acid content stimulates the secretion of gastric acid. "On an empty stomach," she says, "this can increase stomach acidity, potentially causing indigestion, heartburn, [and] irritation of the gastric lining. For lower acidity, you can drink cold brew or dark roast coffee, or add some type of creamer to serve as a buffer. (Don't use ghee in your coffee, though, since it's way too fatty.) Tea can upset your stomach due to the tannins, but its phytonutrients may help to mitigate the effect. Coffee is generally higher in caffeine, too, while black tea has a more moderate level, with green and white tea being lower still. Most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free (as opposed to decaffeinated), with one notable exception being the tea-like herbal drink called yerba mate. This beverage has about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.