Just as you can make or break your health via the foods you choose at each meal, you can support or sabotage your well-being one beverage choice at a time. At one end of the spectrum would be soda — one of the absolute worst choices to drink. At the other, pure water — arguably the best for quenching your thirst and supporting optimal health.

For those times when you're looking for something to savor and sip, an excellent alternative is coffee or tea, both of which have earned a solid spot among healthy beverages, with some caveats, however.

After water, coffee and tea are the most commonly consumed beverages worldwide, and they're also top sources of both caffeine and antioxidant polyphenols for Americans. Tea, particularly green tea, has been linked with a reduced risk of stroke, diabetes and depression, and improved blood pressure, abdominal obesity and glucose levels, while coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of premature death and cardiovascular death, for starters.1

"Coffee is a complex beverage containing hundreds of biologically active compounds," researchers wrote in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology,2 and this is why it, and tea, have such far-reaching health potential. From your heart to your vision to your brain, there are many reasons to enjoy a cup (or a few) of coffee or tea daily — organic, preferred.

Health Benefits of Coffee From Your Heart to Your Brain