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What is more useful? Coffee or chicory?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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People who are accustomed to starting the morning with an invigorating drink, usually choose between coffee and tea. The choice between chicory and coffee arises when doctors do not recommend invigorating remedies, and completely abandon the usual drink unbearable ... Let's look for an alternative?

What is the difference between chicory and coffee?

Externally, the drinks of chicory and coffee can hardly be distinguished. However, they have individual properties and have different effects on a person. What is the difference between chicory and coffee?

Coffee is remarkable for a flavor bouquet and a specific smell, the intensity and color of which depends on the variety, the way of processing the grains and the actual preparation of the drink. It is rich in caffeine, which in many cases is a major disadvantage. It is addictive and insomnia. Of the advantages is worth noting the preventive effect against cancer, migraine, diabetes.

  • If you compare chicory and coffee, chicory is more bitter in taste, the aroma slightly resembles coffee, and in the granulated product - stronger. Does not contain caffeine. It balances the nervous system, depending on its type: either replenishes energy activity, or relieves stress.

Chicory has a whole range of unique properties that have beneficial effects on the most important functions of the body - digestive, metabolic, immune. In combination with milk, the body enriches the body with calcium.

On the positive results of chicory when losing weight, legends go, and such a glory plant owes polysaccharide inulin, as well as pectins and intibine. They accelerate metabolism, reduce the amount of sugar and promote the assimilation of fast carbohydrates. On the benefits of caffeine, too, there is information, but it requires more physical effort to lose weight, otherwise extra pounds can re-occupy "hard" places.

Indications for prescription

Talking about the testimony to the appointment of chicory and coffee is not entirely correct, since the same coffee is not a medicine, and it is usually drunk with taste preferences rather than medical recommendations.

Another thing - chicory, which has a set of useful components and medicinal properties. Due to these properties and the lack of caffeine, chicory is indicated in the following cases:

  • Diabetics normalize the activity of the pancreas and beneficial microflora.
  • Hypertonics invigorates, not raising pressure.
  • Drunk at night, relieves of insomnia.
  • Cleanses the body and improves protective ability.
  • Helps absorb the beneficial components of milk.
  • The best coffee substitute for children and expectant mothers.
  • Supports women's youth and beauty.

Chicory instead of coffee

Is it possible to use chicory instead of coffee for 100 percent? After all, you can not call chicory and coffee identical products, and the adherents of this coffee will never agree to such a replacement. For people who do not allow black coffee, there is a simple way to enjoy its real flavor: add a pinch of ground beans to the chicory drink.

Reduce the amount of caffeine is easy: pour freshly ground coffee with boiling water, bring to a boil and immediately pour into a cup. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a variety of arabica, in grains which is one-third less caffeine than in robusta. Good news for those who do not perceive the body milk: added to the chicory product is perfectly digested, replenishing the supply of calcium.

The benefit is that chicory, in contrast to coffee, has healing qualities. Therefore, chicory instead of coffee is allowed to use for children, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly. Harmful product is considered for people with gastritis, varicose veins, disorders of the nervous system. This category of consumers should consult a doctor about whether they can drink chicory and coffee.

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How to make coffee from chicory?

There are several ways how to make coffee from chicory. The easiest way to buy a ready-made soluble powder and cook the same way as a popular coffee drink: pour boiling water, add milk, cream, honey and / or sugar if desired. Sweet ingredients soften somewhat bitterish taste, and milk promotes digestion.

Thanks to the fact that chicory invigorates, in the morning the cup of the drink will replace natural coffee, and in the evening such a means promotes a good sleep. Useful properties are preserved in cold drinks with the addition of lemon, honey, apple juice.

  • Chicory and coffee are equally delicious, if prepared from freshly ground raw materials. The root can be harvested independently, most importantly, to know the places where this rather unpretentious plant grows.

Raw materials are harvested in autumn, after wilting flowers and leaves. Purified from small and sick roots, washed and dried in the sun for 5 days. The constitution is checked by breaking the root: a specific crunch must be heard.

Dry raw fry until light brown, milled in a coffee grinder and poured hot water. When preparing, it should be remembered that the root is better to be roasted than overcooked.

It is also recommended not to pour the ground root with steep boiling water, so as not to destroy the remaining vitamins after burning, the whole bouquet of which is contained in this root.

Chicory with coffee flavor

Unsuccessfully forgotten chicory with a taste of coffee is gaining popularity, and even claims to be independent among the rest of hot drinks. So instead of choosing - "chicory or coffee?", Perhaps soon there will be a cheerful response: both chicory and coffee!

In favor of chicory says the composition - inulin, vitamins, mineral complex. The taste resembling black coffee, some like even more. And excessive bitterness is easily mitigated by the addition of milk.

  • Chicory as an alternative to coffee is used to reduce body weight. The drink is prepared with the addition of ground beans or without, if desired, but without the cream and sugar or honey, as these ingredients not only improve the palatability, but also increase the calorie content.

For the preparation of chicory with a taste of coffee, a powdered or liquid soluble product is bought, but a drink with a roasted root is much more tasty. The recipe is:

The washed roots are dried in air, cut into pieces and fried at 180 degrees, in an oven or in a frying pan. Roasting adds a dark color and eliminates bitterness. Grind in a coffee grinder, store in a sealed container.

For a portion of hot zikor coffee take 1-2 tsp. Raw materials, brew for several minutes, insist, put on - and drink to health.

Connoisseurs of taste came up with a variety of recipes for delicious cold drinks, for example, using the extract of chicory, orange syrup and apple juice. The extract is also added for the flavoring of fruit teas.

Green coffee with chicory

In the root of chicory is concentrated many useful elements, important for the human body. It is no accident that the plant is actively used by pharmacists, confectioners, alternative healers. Chicory and coffee (green) are two in one, a combination of the positive qualities of two components: unroasted coffee beans and crushed root.

Today you can buy a variety of green coffee with chicory. They have a rich taste and aroma, they contain vitamins that are lost during roasting, polysaccharides, tannins. Due to the constant use of these drinks, the following results are observed:

  • replenishment of energy, tone, improvement of efficiency;
  • decrease in appetite, normalization of digestion, weight control;
  • purification from slags and poisons;
  • improvement of mood and well-being.

The drink prevents the development of cardiovascular problems and diabetes, reduces the amount of fat accumulation, has a tonic effect on the entire body.

Contraindications concern pregnancy, hypersensitivity, it is also not recommended to drink hypertensive patients and patients with vegeto-vascular dystonia.

Coffee from chicory roots

It is known that in chicory there is no caffeine, and in coffee and tea - inulin. Is the replacement of a drink from ground coffee beans with coffee from chicory roots equivalent?

People who have medical contraindications for pressure, recommended chicory, and coffee, it will replace many indicators - taste, aroma, action for wellbeing. Those who prefer instant drinks will have to taste chicory powder. Under reduced pressure, chicory is best avoided.

The healing qualities are diverse: chicory reduces fever, soothes, possesses choleretic, hypnotic and diuretic action. The active ingredient inulin, as a substitute for sugar, is useful for diabetics. Potassium has a positive effect on the heart, vitamins B - on the nervous system, iron - on the hematopoietic organs.

The vasodilator effect is used for arrhythmia, tachycardia, atherosclerosis. Alternative recipes use chicory for preventive purposes and in the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract, spleen, kidneys. To avoid self-medication, you should consult a doctor before taking the drug.

Coffee, decoction, tincture, juice from the roots of chicory are effective in diseases of the skin, as well as in the treatment of obesity, toothache, scurvy, gout, to enhance overall immunity. A classic drink recipe: a teaspoon of raw material is poured into cold water, heated to a boil and cooked. Then the liquid is filtered and sweetened to taste.

Green coffee with goji berries and chicory

Before we understand what green coffee is with goji berries and chicory, we will deal with goji separately. These berries are known under various names - dereza, zamaniha, wolfberry.

Despite the terrible name, in fact it is very nutritious and vitaminized fruits, natural antioxidants. According to some studies, they stimulate mental activity, improve mood and sleep, rejuvenate, prevent oncological and other diseases. Goji is used in alternative medicine, in particular, the Chinese.

What does this product have to do with chicory and coffee? A ready-made drink called "Green Coffee" combines unique properties of coffee, goji, stevia. The bouquet of ingredients contained in these plants has a beneficial effect on metabolism, beneficial microorganisms, burns fats, reduces appetite, which is successfully used for weight loss. Caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins in such a drink are not destroyed by high temperature.

Green coffee stimulates brain work and motor activity, allows you to do more work and at the same time feel more cheerful. This is important for people and mental and physical work. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to overload the body.

Can chicory be given to pregnant women instead of coffee?

Chicory and coffee, tea and cocoa - one of these drinks at least once a day everyone drinks. And if the body is in order, then health! Doubts, whether it is possible for pregnant chicory instead of coffee, occurs in expectant mothers, who are accustomed to start the morning with a black drink. But having listened to the possible harm for the child, they are looking for a substitute for a favorite drink.

There is no need to go far beyond the alternative. Similar taste has a drink from the root of chicory. It beneficially affects the organs and systems of the pregnant woman, subjected to double loads, especially the cardiovascular and hematopoietic. Chicory helps the work of the heart, cleanses the blood, raises hemoglobin and updates red blood cells. A juice from the root, diluted in milk, is recommended as a medicine for anemia.

Chicory calms the nerves of a pregnant woman, improves intestinal activity, stimulates the work of the stomach, eliminates nausea and heartburn that bothers many women. The drink removes toxins, improves the activity of the liver. In alternative medicine it is used in the treatment of the spleen, kidneys, cholelithiasis, diabetes mellitus, wounds and tumors.

However, there are also warnings. Sometimes, chicory can strengthen cough and stimulate appetite too much. Contraindications for pregnant women also exist with varicose veins, gastritis, hemorrhoids.

Is it possible to mix coffee with chicory?

The path of chicory to confession was not easy, and for a long time it had only an unflattering status of counterfeit coffee. Sources say that at one time there were specialists who made chicory in the form of grains and sold it in the guise of the original fruits of coffee trees. Customers could not easily distinguish between such chicory and coffee beans.

  • Over time, gourmets were convinced that the addition of chicory does not spoil, but improves the aroma and brings interesting notes to the taste of a drink made from coffee beans. Thus doubts as to whether it is possible to mix coffee with chicory have been rejected experimentally.

Today, the mixed product is of interest to two categories of consumers: coffeemakers who have decided to reduce the consumption of black coffee, and people who know about the medicinal properties of chicory.

To prepare a mixed drink, fresh, ground ingredients should be taken. Processed in various ways and soluble products are not so tasty. Proportions - 2 hours coffee for 1 hour chicory. For a portion of a full teaspoon of the first and half - the second ingredient.

If you prepare a drink in a Turkish, then the mixture filled with a glass of water is heated to a boil and removed from the fire. Adding milk and sugar, the Turk is again put on the fire and removed with the formation of foam. The drink is ready.

The advantage of a mixed drink is that it affects the nervous system less and, therefore, causes less addiction.

The use of chicory

The taste of the chicory drink resembles coffee, so the topic "Chicory and Coffee" is so relevant. And if almost everything is known about the qualities of coffee, then changing one drink to another, it is worth asking, what is the use of chicory. To not change a delicious original for a less tasty substitute.

The use of chicory is diverse. Like coffee, it invigorates and enhances the mood. Someone likes sweet, with cow, soy, coconut milk, someone - black and unsweetened. In moderate amounts, the drink is not harmful, including during pregnancy.

Vitamins B, which are rich in chicory root, have a positive effect on the nervous system, which, unlike coffee, soothes, not stimulates. I thank the iron, chicory serves for the prevention and treatment of anemia.

  • Those who want to lose weight with the help of this plant can lose weight without giving up baking and sweets. This is due to inulin, which reduces the harm from such products and the level of sugar, as well as pectin, which suppresses the feeling of hunger. These properties are especially useful for diabetics, therefore they are used by doctors as an additional therapy.

Inulin is very useful for the intestines. It is to taste bifidobacteria, therefore it prevents dysbacteriosis and constipation. A cleansing action and vitamins in the composition increase immunity. Strengthening of protective forces is promoted and special chicory acid.

Vitamin kit and minerals are best reflected on the skin, as they help restore collagen and tone the dermis. Tinctures of the root with external application can heal wounds, cleanse the skin with psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis.

These same properties of chicory are useful for hair: improve structure and stimulate growth. The effect occurs when rinsing hair with chicory infusion.

The drink not only cleanses the kidneys and liver from toxins, but the entire body - from parasites.

And if the cores are forced to give up coffee because of caffeine, then it does not have chicory, but it is rich in substances necessary for the work of the heart. It dilates blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol, so it is recommended for hypertension and other vascular problems.

Chicory or coffee - which is more useful?

Not all people know the difference between chicory and coffee. It seems that only genuine gourmets distinguish the taste, but the controversy on the topic: "Chicory or coffee is more useful?" - do not cease. Supporters and opponents of drinks are putting forward new arguments for the benefits and harms of black drinks.

Coffee perfectly performs its function when we want to "wake up" in the morning or shake out at another time of the day. This is due to the presence of caffeine in the composition. In some patients, he relieves migraines.

At the same time, the substance in large doses has a strange, at first glance, property: it depresses the psyche and activity. That allows you to use it for sleep disorders.

  • Coffee drink is not in vain served for dessert: it speeds up digestion, which is useful for healthy people. If violations of the gastrointestinal tract from coffee dessert is desirable to abandon.

The properties of chicory are somewhat different. It calms the nerves without oppression, positively affects the heart, stimulates the appetite. It has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, reduces the level of sugar in diabetics, promotes the development of beneficial microorganisms. Medicine uses chicory as an antihelminthic, choleretic, astringent and diuretic. He is appreciated for the efficiency of wanting to get rid of extra pounds.

As we see, both products in moderate doses have various useful properties. Therefore, it is impossible to answer the question posed above unequivocally. Fans should choose a suitable aromatic drink, depending on taste, health, time of day, mood.

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Influence of coffee from chicory on the work of the intestine

Chicory contains inulin - a kind of fiber, which actively feeds useful bifidobacteria of the intestine. The effect of coffee from chicory on the work of the intestine is that it prevents dysbacteriosis and its unpleasant consequences, such as constipation. In the case of problems with defecation, the issue of chicory and coffee is clearly decided in favor of the former, since coffee can only exacerbate the situation.

Action for intestinal disorders is ensured by the following components:

  • Inulin - accelerates metabolism and normalizes digestion;
  • tannic compounds - protect against infections that cause problems with stools;
  • Intibin is a glycoside that positively affects the nervous system, which also affects digestion.

Chicory is useful to the digestive organs in general. This is his plus, and the alternative medicine has been using this property for a long time. To eliminate constipation, the drink is prepared unsweetened and without milk.

Inulin stimulates the recovery of microflora, which is very badly affected by constipation. Accepted inside chicory cleanses the body of toxins, improves the absorption of vitamins and immunity.

And, finally, if there are parasites in the intestine that provoke a delay in bowel movement, the root tincture can eliminate them, as well as the accompanying problems - for example, gastritis.

The procedure is carried out at home. Pre-ground root in the amount of 1 tsp. For 300 ml of boiling water mix with a spoonful of dry yarrow, after 15 minutes. The drug is ready for use. Drink tincture on an empty stomach.

Coffee and chicory for losing weight

Chicory and coffee - both products are natural. They can be drunk to anyone who likes these drinks or is looking for an alternative to coffee. The difference is that for people with excess weight a chicory drink helps to normalize metabolism and lose excess weight, which can not be said about coffee. For the result, two or three servings of chicory coffee for weight loss per day are sufficient.

How does weight loss occur? The process is associated with the components present in the root of this plant: inulin and intibin, as well as a specific flavor of the beverage prepared from it.

  • Inulin promotes the fastest processing of sugar, in connection with what it does not turn into fat and does not lead to obesity.
  • Intibin helps to break down fats, so they are not stored in the depot, and food is quickly digested.
  • The bitter taste of the plant reduces appetite. Figuratively speaking, the portion of the drink before eating slows down the appetite, and after eating signals the body about the end of the meal and "recommends" the feeling of satiety to stay longer.

Recipe for chicory coffee for weight loss: 1 tsp. The ground product is boiled in a half-liter of water for about 10 minutes. Drain the filtered liquid in three steps. The same effect has a ready-made instant drink, which you can easily buy at retail outlets. To lose weight in drinks do not need to put sugar.

It should be remembered, however, that in itself chicory is not a panacea and is not able to rapidly reduce weight. Its role is to improve the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, and to achieve the goal it is important to revise the diet, move a lot and not get involved in bad habits.

trusted-source[5]

Contraindications

Contraindications chicory and coffee are different. In particular, it is not recommended to abuse chicory, not to provoke insomnia or increased appetite, and also in the following cases:

  • with varicose veins, hemorrhoids and other problems with blood vessels;
  • with ulcers of digestive organs;
  • with allergies;
  • with chronic cough, bronchitis, asthma.

If you decide to introduce the first time in the diet of chicory, to prevent unforeseen reactions, start with a small portion and watch the body. In case of anemia, natural milk should be replaced with vegetable analogues.

trusted-source[6], [7], [8]

Reviews

Among the reviews about chicory and coffee prevail, those that concern chicory - perhaps due to the novelty of this product. They note a moderate effect when losing weight, depending on individual characteristics - by 2-5 kg per month. Tell about the liked and, on the contrary, disappointed products of different manufacturers. Women are especially active, who cordially share their own cooking recipes, chicory and coffee including.

Drinking chicory and coffee or not drinking anything is a matter of taste and habits. But there are general recommendations that should not be neglected. Coffee is suitable for healthy people, it is desirable to drink it in the morning, the second portion, for recharging, - about 14 hours. Chicory, on the contrary, will be way by day and evening, - to relax after a busy day.

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