Be it coffee or herbal iced tea, both beverages offer their own set of advantages. But which is better? That depends on your individual needs and preferences; both contain healthful properties but the way in which they’re prepared can dramatically alter their nutritional value; loading an excessively sugared beverage up can negate many of its beneficial properties.

Summer months bring many warm beverages such as iced tea and coffee to America, making iced tea one of the most beloved drinks. Iced tea has quickly become one of the nation’s favorite beverages. You’ll often see it served at restaurants, cafes and even at home; sweetened or unsweetened varieties are typically mixed with sugar, honey or maple syrup as sweeteners; though fruit juice or natural sweeteners like apple cider vinegar, orange peels or even stevia may be used instead for optimal taste.

Cold tea and coffee beverages have long been enjoyed, yet iced tea only became a more prevalent part of American life following 1904. Richard Blechynden introduced it at the World’s Fair in St. Louis by adding ice to his hot tea samples at that event and creating what is now an American classic.

Iced tea offers many advantages over sugary soda beverages. Not only is it lower in calories and provides much-needed hydration during hot weather months, it is packed with antioxidants such as catechins and polyphenols which support overall wellness. You can customize iced tea blends such as green tea for energy or herbal blends that aid digestion to meet individual needs.

Iced tea and coffee can both be prepared easily at home, yet their convenience makes ready-to-drink (RTD) products even more desirable. RTD products typically come packaged in cans, bottles or other sterile containers and contain tea concentrate that dissolves easily in water for an instantaneous beverage solution.

As both beverages offer numerous healthful properties, the answer to whether iced tea or coffee is healthier depends on its preparation and consumption. By keeping beverages simple with limited additional ingredients and sugar alternatives such as low-calorie sugar alternatives or naturally flavored black tea without added sugars – then simply adding lemon for an enjoyable summertime beverage without all those extra calories!