I have been a tea drinker my whole life. My family lived in England for several years while my father was stationed there, and we definitely picked up their drinking habits. But even before that, my family had tea in the house. Both my mom's family and my dad's family drank tea, and they raised us to enjoy it.

When I was little and I couldn't fall asleep, my mom would brew me a cup of Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time tea. I still drink it to help me sleep, and every time I do, I'm flooded with those memories.

Since then, my taste in tea has grown. I went from the staple two, English Breakfast and Sleepy Time, to countless whites, blacks, greens and herbals. I love trying new flavors and building my stash of favorites. Tea is fascinating to me. I recently tried this beautiful tea made from blue flowers. It turns the water completely blue, bright blue. But if you add lemon, it changes to a pink color. It was amazing and delicious.

But then there's coffee. My favorite part of coffee isn't even the taste — and I love the taste of coffee. No, my favorite part is the smell. I love how I can sit in a coffee shop for a few hours and leave smelling like coffee. I've always had this weird life goal to work as a barista. I love the atmosphere of cafes, the people, the coffee, everything. I like my coffee with flavor but not sweet, and my go to is hazelnut, though I love to try new things. My friend is a barista and he makes me try new drinks all the time; I love it. Coffee is a science that I enjoy watching, tasting and smelling. The thick foam, the layering of a Caramel Macchiato (never iced, because that's preposterous), the way espresso and milk mix in an iced drink. Hot or cold, coffee is a comfort and an addiction.

People often ask me if I like tea or coffee better and I personally find that a cruel question. I can never decide. While I drink much more tea than coffee, I can't say I like it more. I love coffee. And I love tea. Each drink serves a purpose and puts me in the headspace I need, right when I need it. And sometimes I just want coffee more than tea, or vice versa.

But let's look at the facts. There's a lot of science behind coffee and tea. Both drinks are actually really good for you, packed with antioxidants and natural chemicals that aid the body. I'm not here to tell you which is better or which you should drink, but I will show you both sides.

Let's start with the addicts choice: Coffee

There are health benefits that a lot of tea drinkers tend to glance right over. For one, the levels of caffeine are thought to aid people with asthma by relaxing their airways. As an asthmatic, this is a nice fact to know. Some studies show that coffee might be able to reduce the incident of Alzheimer's or dementia, or even type 2 diabetes. Coffee also helps those who suffer from headaches or migraines because the caffeine constricts blood vessels in the brain. This constriction can sometimes help hangovers too.

Coffee can also help combat depression and prevent suicide. Coffee has been proven to reduce stress and depression. Furthermore, the act of going to a coffee shop for coffee adds a social element, whereas a quiet contemplative cup of tea can increase loneliness and depression.

While it isn't a generally pleasant thing to discuss, coffee increases the rate of bowel movements. In other words, coffee makes you poop. You might be asking, why is that a good thing? Well, this increase in bowel movement can actually prevent colon cancer, the third largest form of cancer in America. So go coffee! Coffee can also help combat these liver ailments cirrhosis, hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and may help prevent liver cancer.

Coffee has more caffeine than tea so it's definitely a great pick me up when you're a zombie after you stay up till 4 a.m. working on your homework, or more likely watching Netflix. Unfortunately, coffee has a nice high and then you crash hard.

Coffee is good iced or hot. Either way, it's amazing. And frappuccinos exist.

A lot of people say coffee tastes better while tea is watery nothingness. I love both so I disagree, and also both are made with water so I don't get it.

Now for the versatile option: Tea

According to the National Cancer Institute, tea contains polyphenol compounds, antioxidants that could help prevent cancer. Though this research hasn't been verified, teas have been used and thought of as medicinal and therapeutic for centuries.

Tea has been known to reduce stress and promote rejuvenation. Monks used it for concentration and alertness in prayer. Different teas and flavors help in different ways. Tea is both hydrating and cleansing to the body. Green tea is a great antidepressant.

Caffeinated tea will last longer than the high of coffee. The caffeine in tea is gradually released in lower amounts to allow for alertness and longer lasting effects, and it also eliminates a hard crash like the one that accompanies coffee.

Tea can be used for methods of weight loss and detox. There are tons of "teatox" plans out there to help you clean out your digestive system and body and get to a healthier you. There are also many teas that promote healthy weight loss.

Tea contains fluoride. Drinking a controlled amount can lead to a healthy mouth. Although, too much can cause brittle bones. However, drinking tea regularly, but not excessively can actually lead to stronger, healthier bones.

Tea can also strengthen your immune system. Drinking tea regularly, especially herbal and green teas, can promote a strong healthy immune system.

It is recommended that the ideal for cups of tea consumed a day is five to six. For best results, vary the type of tea for each cup. Instead of only drinking black tea five times a day, swap out two or three cups for a white and a green or an herbal. You'll love the change and so will your body.

However, both coffee and tea have caffeine, and with anything containing caffeine, there comes the risk of anxiety, tachycardia, heart palpitations, insomnia, restlessness and nausea. Unfiltered coffee contains the bad cholesterol, LDL. Tea contains fluoride and while fluoride is good for your teeth, too much can cause brittle bones and osteofluorosis. Certain tea blends from China, India or Sri Lanka have been found to contain aluminum and lead, so where you get your tea is pretty important. And the really important part to the tea versus coffee debate is adding sugar—both tea and coffee taste good and good for you, but adding sugar to these drinks is as bad for you as it is tempting.

So is this really about which drink is better? No, I certainly can't choose between them and I don't expect anyone else to but it might do us all some good to step outside our comfort zones. If you are a coffee drinker, try supplementing a few cups of tea for your bean juice. If you are a tea drinker, don't look down on coffee, it's just as good; try having a cup or two a day. All this talk of coffee and tea has me in the mood for some Tetley's. I hope you'll join me with a cuppa or a coffee.