Coffee or chicory – which is healthier to drink according to scientists?

Coffee and chicory are quite common drinks. They both have a proven set of beneficial properties: they reduce the risk of developing diseases from the cardiovascular, digestive and central nervous systems, and increase overall life expectancy. However, drinks differ from each other and have various side effects and contraindications, which must be taken into account.

In this article, we will compare the pros and cons of coffee and chicory, as well as figure out which of them is more useful and which should be preferred in one case or another.

The pros and cons of coffee

Coffee contains a large amount of caffeine, antioxidants and other biologically active substances. Useful properties of coffee well researched. It activates the nervous system, strengthens the heart and blood vessels, increases physical and mental performance.

Advantages

The most striking beneficial qualities of coffee are described below:

1. Improving mental and physical performance.  Proven , what Coffee improves brain function , leads to an improvement in the overall emotional background, an increase in the speed and quality of any tasks performed.
2. Reducing body weight.  Proven , what coffee helps to lose weight , since caffeine is able to accelerate the overall metabolism, increase the utilization of adipose tissue cells from the depot.
3. Normalization of the glycemic background. According to scientific data , just 1 cup of coffee reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes by 14%, 4 cups – by 30%. The action is based on slowing down the absorption of glucose from the lumen of the digestive tube and increasing the sensitivity of peripheral tissue cells to insulin.
4. Prevention of degenerative pathologies of the central nervous system.  Scientists claim that with regular use, coffee is good for the nervous system , as it reduces the incidence of diseases such as: Parkinson's disease, Pick's disease, Alzheimer's disease. Such deviations lead to rapid disability, loss of labor and social adaptation, and the ability to self-serve.
5. Prevention of cirrhosis. According to American experts , coffee reduces the risk of liver cirrhosis caused by various diseases (viral or alcoholic hepatitis, benign and malignant tumors) by 20-80%. More detailed about the effect of coffee on the liver see in a separate article.
6. Prevention of depression.  Surprisingly, but coffee is good for depression . Proven that with regular use, it reduces the severity of anxiety and stress by 20%, reduces the risk of suicide by 53%.
7. Antitumor effect.  According to research , taking 2-5 cups of the drink per day (with prolonged consumption) significantly reduces the risk of malignant degeneration of liver cells, mucous and submucosal membranes of the large intestine and rectum, and skin.
8. Improving the health of the cardiovascular system. Marked , what coffee strengthens the heart and blood vessels , significantly reduces the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, hemorrhagic stroke.
9. Prevention of gallstone disease. American scientists have identified that caffeine reduces the secretion of bile acids into the lumen of the gallbladder, normalizes the motor activity of the entire biliary tract. The combination of the described effects prevents the formation of concretions.
10. Prevention of gout. Chinese specialists discovered that caffeine slows down the formation of uric acid and accelerates its excretion along with urine. As a result, reliable prevention of the early development of gout and hypertension is provided.
11. Improving intestinal health . The large range of antioxidants included in the drink is significantly reduces the frequency of inflammatory, autoimmune (Crohn's disease, NYAK) and malignant proliferative processes in the walls of the digestive apparatus.
12. Overall increase in life expectancy.  According to scientists , coffee has an effect on almost the entire human body, reduces the likelihood of developing a wide range (including life-threatening) diseases. As a result, life expectancy increases, as the risk of death decreases.

Cons

Disadvantages of coffee are manifested (in most cases) as a result of excessive consumption. The following are the most common adverse reactions against the background of taking a drink:

1. Increased anxiety and general anxiety.
2. Irritability, negative or aggressive attitude towards other people and the environment.
3. Vertigo (of a central character).
4. Photopsies (goosebumps, dots in front of the eyes).
5. Feeling of palpitations or interruptions in the work of the heart muscle (arrhythmias).
6. Unpleasant or painful sensations in the calf muscles.
7. Addiction. With regular use, it develops Caffeine addiction . The human body gets used to a "qualitatively new mode of operation." Scientists claim that abrupt refusal of coffee can provoke the appearance of withdrawal syndrome, which also occurs when cocaine or morphine is restricted.
8. Sleep Disorders. Proven that coffee increases the time it takes to fall asleep, makes sleep more shallow.

The pros and cons of chicory

Chicory is an equally popular drink. It is often used as a coffee substitute by people who have certain contraindications.

Advantages

The main advantages of a drink based on crushed chicory roots include:

1. Saturation of the body with valuable nutrients. 60 grams of dried chicory root contain 7% of the daily requirement of manganese, 4% phosphorus, 5% potassium, 3% folic acid, 7% vitamin B6 and 5% vitamin C. It is also important to note that chicory is 11% consists of of inulin - valuable prebiotics , necessary to maintain intestinal microbiocenosis and normalize fat and lipid metabolism.
2. Normalization of digestive function. Chicory normalizes intestinal microflora (individual populations of microorganisms increase 4-5 times), improves the consistency of stool, provides reliable prevention of constipation.
3. Prevention of colorectal cancer.  Proven that inulin, due to the suppression of chronic inflammation, prevents the formation of colon and rectal cancer earlier.
4. Normalization of the glycemic background. Drink, according to the data Chinese specialists, helps to increase the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin, which provides a fairly reliable prevention of type II diabetes mellitus and other glucose metabolism disorders (fasting hyperglycemia, increased glucose tolerance).
5. Increased bone density. American scientists have identified that chicory increases the bioavailability of calcium, a key macronutrient that ensures the maintenance of mineral bone density . As a result, the likelihood of osteoporosis and bone fractures is reduced (especially in old age).
6. Improving liver health. Chicory root contains chicoric acid, which protects hepatocytes from oxidative damage and improves liver function . Against the background of regular intake of the drink, there is a decrease in markers of destruction of liver cells (ALT and AST), alkaline phosphatase (a symptom of bile stagnation). Chicory is capable of warn earlier development of cirrhosis of the liver.
7. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Inulin, which is part of chicory, reduces the concentration of total cholesterol in the blood and its atherogenic fractions (LDL, TAG), thereby reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and related complications (coronary heart disease, chronic cerebral ischemia, myocardial infarction, etc.). Chicory also improves rheological properties of blood and may contribute to elimination of edema due to the diuretic effect.
8. Improvement of the course of diseases with y stavov.   Proven that with regular intake, chicory reduces the severity of pain in the presence of arthritis or osteoarthritis, which makes it useful for the elderly. The effect is comparable to drugs such as Indomethacin or Meloxicam.
9. Overall increase in life expectancy. Chicory, as well as coffee, prevents the early manifestation of many deadly diseases, which, of course, has a positive effect on life expectancy. Experiments in this field have been conducted on rats and roundworms , and showed good results.

Cons

The main disadvantages of chicory include the following:

1. Negative effect on the child's body.  There is a myth that pregnant women can drink chicory instead of coffee. However, this is not the case. Chicory is strictly forbidden to use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, as well as for children under 3 years old. Neglecting this rule can lead to a violation of the child's development.
2. Irritation of the mucous membranes. In a healthy state of the oral cavity and digestive system, chicory is harmless. However, in the presence of inflammatory pathologies (gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, stomatitis), the product exacerbates the course of the underlying disease.
3. Stimulation of the formation of concretions in the gallbladder. Chicory stimulates the secretion of bile into the lumen of the biliary tract, promotes the formation of stones. If there is a history of cholelithiasis, it is contraindicated.
4. Allergic reactions. Unfortunately, hypersensitivity to individual components of chicory is extremely common. Cases of cross-allergy have been described.

What is more useful in the end?

It is impossible to say exactly which drink is more healthy. Coffee has more pronounced and effective effects, invigorates better in the morning, is more useful for weight loss, and provides reliable prevention of a number of diseases of the cardiological and endocrine profile. However, it has an impressive set of side effects, most of which are due to the presence of caffeine, the main active ingredient of the drink.

It is known that chicory does not contain caffeine, therefore, against the background of its intake, emotional disorders do not develop, depressive disorders , hypertensive crises (with refractory hypertension), etc.

If the human body is healthy and has no obvious contraindications, then coffee is a more preferable choice.

In the presence of abnormalities from the central nervous system (sleep disorders), endocrine and cardiovascular systems (hypertension, resistant to medicines), it is better to drink chicory than coffee.

Who should replace coffee with chicory?

Chicory can serve as a good substitute for coffee in the following conditions:

1. Age from 3 to 16 years old. You can take coffee only from the age of 16-17.
2. Any sleep disorders.
3. Any pathology of the mental sphere.
4. Renal arterial hypertension. Refractory hypertension with frequent crises.
5. Glaucoma.
6. Smoking. Nicotine enhances the effect of caffeine, increases the risk of side effects, especially addiction.
7. Taking antidepressants (Fluvoxamine) and oral contraceptives.
8. Iron deficiency anemia.
9. Severe functional insufficiency of the liver and kidneys.

Is it possible to mix drinks and why?

In order to reduce coffee in the daily diet, it is recommended to mix it with chicory, gradually increasing the proportion of the latter.

Initial concentration: 1 part chicory, 3 parts coffee. After 3-4 days – 2 parts of coffee, 2 parts of chicory, after 1-2 weeks the drink should contain at least 75-80% chicory. A month later, take only chicory.

Such a "slow" transition scheme will avoid the development of withdrawal syndrome and help the body cope with coffee addiction without harming itself.

Conclusion

Thus, both chicory and coffee have a positive effect on the human body.

Coffee has a more impressive set of useful qualities, but it has a significant list of contraindications and side effects (from the development of addiction to a hypertensive crisis).

When giving preference to a drink, it is important to take into account the state of your body and the presence of contraindications. If necessary, you need to enlist the support of a doctor. In general, chicory can be considered safer.