Which is healthier: coffee or cocoa? Features, taste and differences between drinks

Many people start their day with a cup of aromatic invigorating drink, which helps overcome morning drowsiness and maintain their mood throughout the working day. Among the clear leaders are tea, coffee and cocoa, the popularity of which is unlikely to be rivaled by any other drink. However, it is worth understanding that any product has both beneficial properties and can cause harm to the body. So what is still preferable to consume in the morning and throughout the day?

Coffee

The drink has many varieties. The choice depends only on the taste preferences of the consumer . Natural coffee must be brewed, and it is much healthier than instant coffee, which requires only boiling water.

The drink is known for its invigorating effect. It improves mood, improves physical and mental activity. The smell of coffee has a positive effect on a person: a pleasure hormone is produced, which gives a good mood.

Beneficial features:

1. Dilatation of blood vessels.
2. Elimination of headaches and spasms.
3. Concentration, increased performance.
4. Reducing the risk of developing liver cirrhosis, prostate and breast cancer.
5. Prevention of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, depression, etc.
6. Accelerating metabolism and losing excess weight.
7. Reducing the risk of gallstones.

Recommended dose for an adult: no more than 3 cups per day . Exceeding the norm will negatively affect the nervous system, the person will become aggressive. In people who regularly consume the drink, bones become brittle as calcium is washed out. Drinking coffee is prohibited if you have arrhythmia and tachycardia.

It is recommended to drink coffee without food additives . They can enhance the effects of caffeine, which will lead to an increase in bad cholesterol.

You should not drink coffee on an empty stomach , as this will cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is also prohibited to mix it with alcohol. The brain is active and the body relaxes. This combination can provoke arrhythmia.

Coffee fruits and cocoa beans

The fruits of these plants are called grains or beans. The grains are completely different in structure and appearance.

Coffee fruits grow in clusters. Each fruit consists of several grains - from one to four. The color of the grain can range from pale green to light brown.

Cocoa beans in appearance resemble a melon or a large lemon. Inside they contain many large seeds, which are arranged in several rows and surrounded by pulp. The ripening period is approximately four months. Under favorable conditions, the plant will bloom and bear fruit all year round. Growing trees and harvesting crops is very hard and low-paid work.

Cocoa

The product contains a small amount of caffeine , so it is popular among people with weak cardiovascular systems. Cocoa improves mood, since one of the components is phenylethylamine - it promotes the production of endorphins.

The positive effects of cocoa include:

1. Getting rid of cough (if it is not chronic or allergic).
2. Stimulates blood circulation in the brain.
3. Strengthening hair and rejuvenating skin.
4. Supports normal functioning of the nervous system.
5. Getting rid of a hangover.

There is no negative effect on blood pressure, since caffeine is contained in small quantities.

Cocoa is a rich product . When losing weight, it should be excluded from the diet. The product is prohibited for gout, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases. With regular consumption, crystals are deposited in the joints and organs of the excretory system.

Sometimes cocoa causes an allergic reaction in children. The drink is prohibited for pregnant women.

Recommended dose for adults: no more than 2 cups per day . It is better to buy a product without additives, so there will be more benefits.

Benefits of cocoa

Cocoa contains zinc, folic acid, iron and other elements that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the body as a whole. In addition, cocoa contains phenylethylamine, which is considered a love hormone. It is a natural antidepressant that physiologically helps maintain a good mood.

In addition, cocoa contains melanin , a substance that provides skin elasticity and protects it from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Cocoa also contains caffeine, but the effect is much milder compared to coffee. At the same time, it is enough to make a person more alert and energetic. Cocoa has a much smaller effect on blood pressure.

Cocoa also has the following beneficial effects on the body:

• Contains large quantities of vitamins A, B, E.
• Promotes the fastest possible removal of lactic acid from the muscles, therefore minimizing the manifestations of soreness after a long break after training.
• Helps get rid of hangover syndrome.
• Causes a feeling of fullness due to its high calorie content. But these calories do not contribute to weight gain in moderation. But if you add milk, sugar, cream, its calorie content will increase many times over. This needs to be taken into account.
• It has a stimulating effect on the body due to its theobromine .

Differences

Caffeine

It is present in both products, but in different dosages. Its amount in coffee is higher than in cocoa. Therefore, the first product invigorates better than the second. To improve performance, coffee is more suitable, and cocoa is good as a warm, tasty drink.

Effect on the cardiovascular system

Cocoa is often recommended for those with a weak heart and poor functioning of the circulatory system. The product does not have the same effect on them as coffee. The drink speeds up all metabolic processes, and this is harmful for an unhealthy heart.

Children

Under 12 years of age, drinking pure coffee is prohibited. However, the soluble type will not cause much harm, especially if you add more water. The natural product will negatively affect the functioning of the child’s cardiovascular and nervous system.

Cocoa is harmless for children . Some people love it very much, especially with sweets. For many, this drink is specifically for children.

Form

Coffee can be in beans or instant powder. They differ in properties, taste and method of preparation. The grain form is more saturated, it gives an enhanced effect of vigor, and has a greater impact on the functioning of the entire body.

Cocoa is produced only in powder form.

Varieties

There are many types of coffee beans:

1. Arabica (mild aroma).
2. Robusta (specific bitterness, sharp aroma, contains more caffeine).
3. Liberica (used in mixture with other types, richness, deep aroma).

The drink also differs in the type of roasting:

• Scandinavian style (light brown color, no oil release, sour taste, good combination with cream or milk).
• Viennese (dark brown color, slightly oily, sweetish taste).
• American style (no oil release, long frying, slight bitterness).
• In French (dark brown color, a lot of oil is released, a clear characteristic bitterness).
• Italian style (rich dark color, lots of oil, makes a strong espresso, which is better not to drink in the afternoon).
• Continental roast (dark chocolate color).

Cocoa differs only in the additives it contains.

Coffee and cocoa plants

Coffee is the fruit of a coffee tree, more like a bush (Madiaceae family). Africa is considered the birthplace of coffee.

Cocoa is the fruit of the cocoa tree (belongs to the Malvaceae family). Sometimes cocoa is called "chocolate tree". Cocoa is native to the tropical forests of South America. Both plants are now grown all over the world in the warm and humid tropical latitudes of both hemispheres.

Both trees are evergreen. The height of cocoa can reach a height of 10 – 12 meters. The coffee tree, as a rule, grows much lower - 6 - 10 meters.

Which is healthier?

Cocoa has less impact on the body, so if consumed regularly, it is not as harmful as coffee. If you have heart disease, coffee products are prohibited, unlike cocoa.

Both drinks can be harmful if consumed unregulated. If you plan your diet correctly, with the same intake, coffee will be healthier, in the absence of medical restrictions.

Cocoa causes less harm in case of overdose - this should also be taken into account when calculating the benefits. However, normal intake will not harm a person, especially if he rarely consumes these products.

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What is the main difference

Coffee and cocoa, like the two poles of the earth, seem similar, but they have one important difference - their chemical composition. Cocoa beans contain the alkaloid theobromine, and the stimulant in coffee is caffeine. Accordingly, their effect on the human body will be different, although both drinks are based on a stimulating substance.

Many people think that coffee and cocoa beans are the same thing, only processed in different ways. But this is clearly a fallacy. Plants from which fruits are collected for future aromatic drinks belong to two opposite families. Coffee is collected from trees of the Rubiaceae family, and cocoa from the Malvaceae family, and the latter are much larger. Their height reaches 15 meters.

The seeds of these plants also look different. The coffee fruit is a berry containing two coffee beans. In contrast, the cocoa child resembles an elongated, embossed melon containing several dozen grains.

Cocoa beans

The chocolate tree, or cocoa, is much more massive; some of its specimens reach 15 meters in height, but their standard height is eight meters. They have large and glossy leaves with a dark green tint, and cocoa flowers are no more than a centimeter. The fruits grow on branches and are attached to tree trunks and can weigh up to half a kilogram.

Outwardly, they are similar to decorative elongated melons. Inside the fruit are up to five dozen bean grains, which are covered with a sticky mass. The seeds themselves are about 3 centimeters in length.

America is considered the birthplace of cocoa, both in the northern regions of the southern part and in the forests of the central part. Here is the most favorable climate for the growth of this crop. It is known from a number of sources that the use of this plant began in the 10th century BC, and the Mayan tribes cultivated cocoa plantations from the 6th century BC. They believed that the gods gave them cocoa. And they called this plant the food of the gods.

Cocoa beans became widespread after their fruits were brought to Spain in the 17th century. From here the drink spread throughout Europe. Today there are large cocoa plantations in Colombia, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and Ghana. These countries have a special microclimate in which the cocoa tree is as comfortable as possible.

Coffee beans

Coffee has the appearance of an evergreen shrub or low tree and grows in the subtropics. Its leaves are leathery and dark green, and its delicate flowers exude a pleasant aroma.

Subsequently, fruits develop from them, which are called coffee berries or drupes. Their size does not exceed one and a half centimeters. The color of the berries changes as they ripen: from dark green to bright red. Inside each fruit, under the shell, there are two coffee beans. They are completely different from the ones we put in a coffee grinder.

There are suggestions that humans and coffee have been linked for almost three million years. Such conclusions were drawn from the found traces of human habitation in the region of East Africa, which is the birthplace of wild coffee.

One of the most famous geographical points where the birth of coffee took place is Mocha. This small port on the Red Sea gave its name to a type of coffee that was produced in Arabia. For a long time, all coffee supplies came only from Yemen.

Only by the beginning of the 20th century, coffee plantations appeared on four continents: Australia, Asia, Africa and South America.

How many calories are in coffee with and without milk, with and without sugar?

Coffee beans are traditionally consumed as a hot drink , which has a tonic and mild stimulating effect on the central nervous system. The most interesting are the roasted ripened grains, ground to a certain state and cooked in a Turk on hot sand or a stove.

Today, the assortment of retail chains includes instant varieties obtained by freeze-drying a concentrated drink at low temperatures; some instant coffee granules contain a small amount of natural ground product.

Coffee is drunk not only hot, but also chilled, and even with ice cream.

Application in dietetics and weight loss

Coffee (natural or instant) is present in the menu of the coffee mono-diet, chocolate diet and fasting day on oatmeal flakes. However, with diseases associated with blood circulation and high blood pressure, excessive consumption of the drink can negatively affect the general condition of the body.

For MODERATE coffee consumption:

• attention and performance improves,
• the risk of depression is reduced,
• acceleration of metabolism and, as a result, getting rid of excess weight (provided you consume natural coffee without adding cream, sugar, syrups. Otherwise, you will, on the contrary, be able to gain a couple of extra pounds),
• the secretory functions of the stomach are improved,
• reduces the risk of liver cirrhosis.
• But we should not forget about contraindications. People suffering from arrhythmia, tachycardia and coronary heart disease should avoid coffee. In addition, it is recommended to use this drink with caution for people suffering from diabetes, because caffeine increases cholesterol levels and can also be addictive.

So, we can come to the conclusion that drinking natural coffee in its pure form, but less than 2-3 cups per day, will have a faster beneficial effect on the body.

What are the benefits of coffee?

Our ancient forefathers started drinking coffee. One of the legends says that a shepherd tending goats saw that after eating coffee beans, the goats behaved very vigorously and intensely. Since then, coffee has been considered one of the best invigorating and tonic drinks.

It’s no longer a secret that coffee owes its effect to caffeine. Specifically, it has a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system, improving performance, and with it, increasing blood pressure.

Let's drink cocoa!

Despite all its wonderful qualities, cocoa is not particularly popular in Russia.

Abroad they drink it a lot; However, they also consume much more chocolate there than in our country. Maybe the reason is that cocoa powder, which we were accustomed to since Soviet times, did not dissolve well in water; it had to be boiled.

Today, imported brands of cocoa and chocolate drinks have appeared on the Russian market, which dissolve even in cold water or milk.

American researchers have established an interesting fact: despite the fact that cocoa is higher in calories than tea or coffee, it does not lead to obesity

Russian producers are trying to keep up and produce new, improved brands of cocoa. It is possible that cocoa will once again regain the sympathy of the majority of Russians.

How and when is the best time to drink it?

From large wide cups with thick walls. It is believed that in this way you can enjoy the taste and aroma of cocoa to the highest degree. With biscuits or not very sweet cookies. In the morning and afternoon - for vigor, in a cold evening - to lift your spirits. If you want to get a good night's sleep, don't drink cocoa at night.

What are the benefits of cocoa?

Now let's talk a little about cocoa. As you know, cocoa is a storehouse of essential vitamins and microelements.

It contains folic acid, zinc, iron, and also a rather rare component - phenylethylamine, which in turn is a great antidepressant.

Not counting the fact that it contains a substance such as melanin, which protects us from exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays.

In addition to everything else, cocoa is not prohibited from being consumed by people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Cocoa also helps remove lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles from the body. Are you suffering from a hangover? Cocoa will also help get rid of it in the shortest possible time.

But it is worth keeping in mind that cocoa is a rather high-calorie product, and you should not abuse it. In addition, cocoa is not best consumed by people suffering from kidney and liver diseases, because this drink contains a substance that can be deposited in the genitourinary system.

What can you say in conclusion? What is still better than coffee or cocoa? There is absolutely no answer to this survey.

These two drinks, although identical in some ways, are completely opposite in essence.

And if you have no contraindications to drinking one or another drink, then the choice remains up to your taste preferences.

What is healthier: tea, coffee or cocoa? Why?.

If you have difficulties with high blood pressure, then you will have to be as careful as possible with each of these drinks. Teas and coffee are not recommended for hypertensive patients.

If the pressure is low, then coffee in the morning becomes a typical lifeline and helps to open your eyes, cheer up and feel a surge of strength. Coffee does not cure hypotension naturally, but it creates shocks to increase blood pressure.

To a certain extent, any of these drinks is not bad for its tonic effect, you just need to know your limits. You can’t drink a lot of cocoa either, and even children are not offered to give it on a regular schedule, but cocoa with milk is not so often a necessary and nutritious drink. It is advisable to brew weak tea; it is a completely tonic and savory drink. Hibiscus (aka Hibiscus) is considered a very healthy drink, so I will name this particular tea as a priority among the drinks under consideration.

What is healthier to drink: cocoa or coffee?

Mornings can be languid for everyone. To cope with lethargy and lift their spirits for the rest of the day, people start their day with a cup of coffee or cocoa. These drinks give you a boost of energy and help you cheer up and concentrate on important matters.

But do these drinks have a positive effect on the body? And what is the best drink to drink?

A little about the history of cocoa

The cocoa culture originates in Mexico. Its former inhabitants, the Aztecs, used cocoa in the following way: they ground the fruits, added hot spices, and sometimes honey, and prepared an aromatic drink called “chocolatl.”

According to some reports, the famous Inca emperor Montezuma drank up to 50 bowls of “chocolatl” a day, which gave him extraordinary vigor, strength and energy. These qualities were so valued by the Aztecs that cocoa fruits were even used as a monetary unit.

For example, for 500 cocoa seeds you could buy a slave. The Spanish conquistadors, who conquered Mexico in the 16th century, brought cocoa fruits to their king, among other precious gifts, and told how the Aztecs used them. For a long time, chocolate remained the privilege of kings. Only after about 150 years did it become fashionable throughout Europe. And it remains popular today, although what we call cocoa today is very different from the Aztec “chocolatl.”

Cocoa recipe

Ingredients

• 1 liter of milk or water
• 5 dessert spoons cocoa powder
• 5 teaspoons sugar

Preparation

• Mix cocoa powder with sugar.
• Add a small amount (100 -150 ml) of cold milk or water. Stir to form a thick, mushy mixture.
• Boil the remaining milk or water.
• Add the diluted cocoa mixture.
• Stirring, bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Cocoa is ready!

To make the cocoa drink aromatic, tender, tasty and give a good boost of energy, it is better, of course, to prepare it with milk. Especially if you are preparing it for a child. It can be drunk cold or hot. Cocoa is recommended to be consumed for enhanced nutrition. In baby food, cocoa drink is recommended to be introduced from the age of two, starting with 50 ml per day. Cocoa with milk, as well as various recipes for coffee with milk, have increased nutritional value. They are recommended for those who are subject to increased stress or want to gain a few extra pounds.

In addition to all of the above, watch a useful video about the valuable properties of cocoa

Which is better: coffee or cocoa?

Cocoa has a high caloric content. And, therefore, a lot of calories means the appearance of excess weight, especially when sugar, cream, or milk is added to it. We recommend that people with high blood sugar drink moderate amounts of purines, which are converted into uric acid in the human body; when in excess, they tend to be deposited in the form of special crystals in the bladder and joints.

Coffee, acting as a natural energy drink, has a stimulating effect on the human central nervous system. The same caffeine, which is present in large quantities in coffee, constricts blood vessels and accelerates blood circulation, and this is harmful for people with high blood pressure. This is how coffee differs from cocoa.

But no one forbade enjoying a cup of coffee or a portion of cocoa, and what exactly to choose is a matter of taste.